


Broken

by SoaringWings



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Gore, OC joins the Avengers, Ripping Off Maximum Ride, Swearing, Torture, Violence, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-15
Updated: 2014-04-22
Packaged: 2018-01-12 11:10:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 39,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1185538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoaringWings/pseuds/SoaringWings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Angel is a mysterious girl who's only thoughts are to survive. After she saves Loki, turned mortal, from monsters intended to kill her, they both find themselves helping the Avengers. Love ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! My first time on the Archive and my first fic! Enjoy!

Running. Angel seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. Metaphorically or literally, it was more than any 20 something should have to. Like now for instance. Why was she the one being chased by a hairless goblin like creature? What did she ever do?

Her breath was ragged, her feet sore from pounding on the forest floor. Her legs were numb, fueled only by survival instinct. Everything seemed null and dull, except for her heaving lungs that sharply gasped at the air. Cramps, which had long been present throughout this ordeal, were not helped by her hollow stomach.

Angel had no idea as to why or how she had managed to outrun this animal. She attributed it to the natural endurance humans had. Knowing she had to rest, she caught a tree and let herself tumble over in exhaustion. _I can’t stay long. If I relax too much I can’t out sprint it at a moment’s notice again._

She wished she had managed to find some sort of food to sustain her until she reached civilization. The least she could have done was to have grabbed her knives. She should have brought them with her when she went to collect water. _Speaking of water_.  
Her hand grasped at the tin canister hooked to her belt. She wished she had grabbed her personal water purifier. That had proved to be a valuable gift. She reached her hand around and pulled her body around the tree and settled into the dirt. _I shouldn’t drink it, I could die from poisoning. I would definably vomit anyways._

She concentrated on breathing slowly. _That creature was probably sent to kill me_. _And bring me back like a cat with a gift for its owner_. She scoffed at the idea. _They would probably tear me apart and put me in jars stuffed in the back of the fridge._  
Faint rustling sounds stopped her in her tracks. She cupped a hand over her mouth to cover the sound of her breathing. It was too late to start moving, the creature definitely smelled her. She would have to take her chance in an all-out brawl…..

_Thwat_

Despite herself, Angel gasped in surprise. Something to her right exploded just a few rows of trees down. The horrible thing made a miserable groan before silencing all together, thumping to the ground. She whipped her head around to see the carcass of the creature, bloody and fleshy with a crisp chunk taken out of its side.

A sudden presence to her left made her jump. A man in a black vest was pressed against up her tree. He shot a quick glance at her and reached for his bow. _A friggin bow_? He pulled out an arrow from the quiver on his back and nocked it. He looked back at her and for a second she thought he was going to point it at her.

Instead, the man twisted his body around until he was in a kneeling position, to draw his bow around the tree.

“Who are you?” he mumbled softly, not taking his eyes off the dark underbrush.

She was skeptical as to why she was the one being questioned. Who carries around a bow? Seemed like a better question.

"No one of consequence.” She answered softly. God, had she always wanted to quote that line.

 

This was not Loki’s day, it seemed. He was still getting over the embarrassment of being controlled by Thanos, which was hard to do with a reputation like his. The Warriors Three and Sif at least started talking to him again, if only to tease them. Today he received news of Odin’s final punishment for him. He was still being held responsible for his first attack Midgard, but he found that his actions were justified.

If he hadn’t helped Thor against Malekith, he would probably still be stuck in prison. Of course, Thor had also betrayed Asgard and had tried to destroy an entire race, and he wasn’t being held responsible, but Thor was the favorite child.

But even Thor seemed to have fallen out of Odin’s favor. This whole trip seemed like a way to unburden the nine realms. Regardless, it was a way for Loki to escape. But Loki didn’t account for one thing.

Loki wouldn’t have agreed to all of this if he had known that his powers were being stripped away. _He wouldn’t dare. Leave me_ _defenseless while Thanos is still on the prowl_? _Not even he would do that to his_ … he paused. He could not bring himself to regard himself as Odin’s ‘son’.

Metal clanged to the floor as his shackles were released. He smirked at Heimdall.

“Ready to go.” His eyes gloated his silent victory.

“Wait Loki.” Said Odin. “There is something I must do.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “What else is there? I know the terms, I signed your silly agreement. Rather ridiculous of you to go to such lengths.” He pondered.

Not looking him in the eye, Odin reached out his hand, seemed to grab something in thin air, and pulled. Loki’s eyes winded when he realized what he was trying to do. He moved to block, but was too late. In an instance, he felt his body become weaker. His bones felt lighter, his muscles losing their potential.

The buzz of magic he felt in his soul seemed to fade into nothingness. The next few seconds seemed to last an eternity as Loki weight of what had just happened fell on him. His horrified stare never left Odin’s sorrowful eyes.

“How could you!” he shrieked in agony. He knew that it was all he truly had. It was the one thing he could always rely on. It made him formidable. It made him remarkable. His eyes flashed to fury in an instant.

“This was not in the agreement!” He shouted.

Odin returned his gaze, looking like the weary old man he was. “I cannot risk another attack on Midgard. Not when trust is the most important link between the worlds.” Before Loki could retort, the Bifrost was activated and he felt himself being whisked away to the emptiness of space.

Knowing he only had a few seconds left before the trip was over, he looked over at Thor. He had the most puzzled and worried look on his face. Loki stepped back, knowing that as a mortal, this was the last chance he had to escape. But even he was afraid of the consequences for throwing himself out of the Bifrost.

Thor reached out a hand to comfort him. “Brother…” he began.

And that what drove Loki off the edge. That sickening word again. With few steps back, Loki dropped off the edge.


	2. First Contact

“Sir.” A robotic voice said. “Sir.” Again, in a more irritated tone. Tony continued to ignore the A.I. “Sir! An urgent message from S.H.E.I.L.D. They request your presence immediately.” Tony waved his hand dismissively. 

“Sir, Loki has escaped.” Pepper was the first to pull from their make out session. “What?” she asked. 

“Its fine honey, “Tony shook his head. “They’ll just… What? Reindeer games?”

“Yes, Loki has managed to escape transport and is somewhere in the Colorado region.” Reluctantly, Tony unwrapped his arms from around Pepper, shooting her an apologetic glance. She pushed him upwards instead. “This is the guy who destroyed our tower! Go!” Tony smiled, thankful for snagging such a wonderful woman. 

“Jarvis, I need details. And a flight plan.” He tapped a few buttons on his wrist band and held out his arms. Hunks of his suit flew to his arms and legs, covering them in a mechanic’s dream.

“Already done. According to Thor, Loki without power. Agent Barton and Caption Rogers are already scanning area he is suspect to be in.”

Tony was already flying through the night sky by the time Jarvis was done explaining.

“Hold on, he’s powerless?” 

“Yes…” The A.I. explained that it was a part of his punishment. S.H.E.I.L.D had already been notified by Asgard that he had helped with the attack in London, and most importantly, that he had been under the control of the Tesseract. He and the other Avengers had also been notified of Loki’s return, to ‘redeem himself’. Of course, all of them were opposed to this idea.   

Odin was probably sending him to teach him the same lesson Thor had learned here. As to why S.H.E.I.L.D accepted this, that was shrouded in even more mystery. Most likely it was to help Bruce and Jane Foster with the gamma radiation research they were working on.

In fact, both of them were in Tony’s tower. Actually, all of the Avengers were stationed in his home. If it hadn’t been a, you know, _tower,_ Tony might have put up a bigger fight against it. The reasoning behind this idea had actually been logical when you didn’t consider what it would be like to live with an American icon, the jolly green giant, a demi god with his girlfriend and her plucky assistant, a red head with deadly aim, and the reincarnation of William Tell.  

But the worst part of it all? Loki was going to stay with them.

You know. To keep him out of trouble.

 

Hawkeye opened his mouth to say more, but was cut off by a howl in the distance. What were these creatures and what were they doing in this forest? He would have guessed that Loki had summoned them but Thor had assured him that Loki was powerless and free of the tesseract’s influence. As much as he trusted the big guy, he knew that Loki had had to have something up his sleeve. 

And just who was this girl?  His first thought was ‘hiker’ but she looked rather unhealthy for someone whose hobby is to walk up mountains. Plus it was 3 in the morning. Even from here, she seemed to be a few inches taller than average, and judging by her build, she was at least 15 pounds underweight. 

The girl paused at the sound to. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her raise hand as if she was about to smack someone with the back of it. There was a moment of silence and Clint thought the monster had passed.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. A beast the size of a tiger leaped out of the bushes with a roar. Matted brown hair covered its body in patches, showing its sickly lime green skin. Crammed teeth jutted out of its large mouth. An arrow flew from his bow and hit the creature in the neck. 

It continued on its rampage towards them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the girl wave her hand towards it. He felt a gust of air on his cheek, when suddenly the beast’s neck had a long, bloody gash in its throat.

The girl was up and running in the other direction in an instance. Instead of running after her, he paused to see if the beast would get up. Deciding it was dead, he spoke to his ear piece. 

“No sign of Loki, but I spotted and fought with a few hostile beasts up here. I also came in contact with a girl, brown hair, blue eyes, who ran off.” The announcement was heard by all the Avengers, Nick Fury, Mara Hill, and Agent Coulson. “She might me a mutant of some kind though. She shot a something at the creature that sliced its neck. Do I engage?”

“No.” Boomed Fury. “First contact is vital with a potential mutant.” 

 

Claws scrapped against the ground, howls filled the air. _Crap. They found me._ Angel grabbed her aching side and willed her legs to go faster until at last she reached the end of the path. Luckily, it stopped directly, and opened out to reveal that it was a cliff side. Sharp yips and the crunching of grass grabbed her attention and she turned around.

The horrendous beings flashed their yellow teeth and stalked closer and closer, creeping towards her, determined to pounce before she escaped. Slowly, ever so slowly, Angel backed up until she was at the edge. Both parties waited, daring the other to make a move. She could see the sweat glistening off their bodies, the satisfied gleam in their eyes.

It wasn’t her best chance, but Angel had to take it. _3…2…_ A rumbling sound caught the creatures’ attention. She knew not what it was, but ignored it. This moment was vital and gave her the perfect chance.

She let herself fall off that cliff into the rich night air. 

 

When Tony heard about the monsters and the girl, he did not envision seeing her leaping off a cliff to escape them. 

It was breathtaking, seeing her stand there, the way she moved. But she herself did not look very impressive. Her clothes old and disheveled, her hair not cared for. She seemed anorexic under the grey tee and denim jacket (cut to end a little above the waist) that she wore. 

But the girl stood tall. Her steady gaze met beast’s eye with a glint that said _this is the moment. This is when it counts. Everything relies on my next movement and I am not afraid to do what I have to do._ Then she smiled and jumped. 

She twisted around and wings unraveled from her back, through her jacket. 

Tony blinked.

For a second he veered to the left in surprise. Correcting his path, he raised a hand to shoot one of the beasts that were now screaming at him in anger. A blast flew from his hand that broke up the formation. 

“Definitely a mutant.” He told his earpiece. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am blatantly 'borrowing' ideas from James Patterson's book series, Maximum Ride. Forgot to mention that.... I feel like I should also say that I don't own anything Marvel or Maximum Ride.


	3. Rescue

Angel banked downwards into the forest below. She was too weak to fly for long and needed to stop. Whatever had distracted the creatures gave her just enough time to escape. Swooping low, she dropped, curling her 15 foot wing span in. They folded then shrank into her back. 

Cautiously, she edged her way along the trees, her destination in sight. Stopping for a breath, she noticed the sound of crunching leaves. Sliding behind a tree, she peaked out at the clearing ahead. 

A tall man with slick black hair was face to face with one of the mutant tiger things. It crept towards him, enjoying the hunt and the panic of its helpless prey. The second thing that stood out to her was the fact that he was being driven a ledge that over hung a lake, her destination. 

_And what the hell was up with his outfit? Leather? Seriously? I don’t understand the green trimmings either._ Angel shook her head. _Focus girl._ A twang of guilt caused her to shudder inwardly. Those creatures were after _her._ She felt obligated to help. 

Raising her arm, she prepared to _push_ air into a blade and send it into the creature’s neck. She swung with all her might at the threat. 

Which also was the moment it leaped onto the man, both crashing backwards into the water below. But of course. This couldn’t be easy. The man yelled and braced himself.

Sighing in annoyance, Angel ran to the edge of the lake. There, she saw the man thrashing around, viciously punching the creature’s head. She threw off her jacket and tossed off her shoes. Biting her lip when she saw teeth sink into his shoulder, she jumped in.

Withdrawing her claws, she landed deftly on its back. She scrapped its neck, desperate to force it to release its hold. Teeth withdrew from his flesh and he slowly sunk into the water, limp. Then their eyes met, if only for a second.

His eyes were emerald, and wide with fear, crossed with panic and….pure despair. She briefly wondered what he saw. Pain called her back into reality. Claws cut her left thigh down her side. She shrieked as her weight was pulled down that way, daggers piercing her wrist, something dripping over the wound. Then her world became weightless as a heavy substance enveloped her body.  

Her mind racing, she sliced viciously at the neck. She didn’t stop until it stopped howling and shaking. Kicking her way to the surface, she gasped in air, pausing for a second from shock. Remembering her plight, she plunged back into the water.

Adrenaline made her forget her deep injuries. _I am not coming back from this damn suicide mission empty handed._ She thought bitterly. _Besides_. His eyes. His eyes! How much sorrow they had!

She fought against the murky water, extending her good hand as far as she could. This was not a good idea, considering she wasn’t the best swimmer. Finally, as her lungs were about to burst, she found his hand. She pulled him towards her, wrapping her bad hand around his waist. 

He struggled as his head peaked out of the water, aggravating her wrist wound. He jerked weakly before settling relaxing into a dead weight. Annoyed, Angel scanned the area for an exit. His head lolled back down to his chest. She tilted his head back to her shoulder and started for shore.

His heavy clothing didn’t make the trip any easier, especially when she had to kick with her bleeding leg. She jokingly considered dropping him half way, if only to distract her from the throbbing of her head. But his heart wrenching wheezing reminded her of the weight of the situation.

Her feet slipped when she hit mud, and the movement rolled his body off her shoulder. She swung her good arm around his shoulders and clambered up the shore. She winced severely as rocks pinched her feet. With a grunt, she slid him to the ground. Doubling over, she finally shivered with shock.

Blood from the beast, the man, and from herself ran down her arms. She trembled with exhaustion, tremors convulsing her fingers. Checking her priorities, she lowered her head to his mouth. Soft breaths came from his mouth and his chest rose, even if it was labored. Sighing with a relief, she let herself relax. 

Behind her a twig snapped, and at once her senses sharped. She turned around to see two men jogging up to her. In the air, was the familiar rumbling sound. One of the men was the first one from the other side of the forest. The other was dressed in a blue and red spandex suit. _Really?_           

Her jaw dropped when she saw Iron Man drop from the sky. But none of the superhero’s names registered to her head. All she thought was _ohshitwhatisthatshinythinginthesky?_ The man in the full body suit, _who wears a cowl anyways? ,_ shouted something at her.

She took off in a dead sprint.

Running drained all her strength and she knew she would be caught eventually, but rational thoughts weren’t exactly pouring from her ears. The world started to blur and she slowed down. Her skin was clammy and sweat ran down her face. Her whole body was consumed in a heat flash. Angel began to panic as her mortality caught up with her.

The world tilted and faded.


	4. Questions

The girl gave him the most incredulous look in the world. After she had seen Stark though, she went all 23 skidoo. The Captain ran by the passed out form of what he assumed to be Loki, knowing Clint wanted dibs. Fury had specifically asked him to take care of the Innocent. He had that certain touch with civilians that the others didn’t.

Ahead, he saw her reel then fall over. He rushed to her side, turning her over. She was the definition of ‘looking like hell’.  She was wet and clammy, her shirt caked in damp blood. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to all be hers. Her thigh was a different story. It seemed to be mostly an abrasion, but it definitely cut into her muscles. He just hoped she could make decent recovery. She was obviously sick too, with her burning skin. 

Steve also noticed the yellow substance and realized that it must be venom. _From the beast_? Just who mutated such creatures? And who was she? What were her powers, if she had any?

Regardless, he needed to get her to a medical facility. He bent over and lifted her up with ease. She was surprisingly light for someone of her height. He briefly wondered if she suffered from one of those weird eating disorders of this generation. Why did the youth of this generation do this to themselves?

 

Clint put a hand on Loki’s throat to check for a pulse. _Dammit._ Short breaths cycled laboriously through his lungs. Iron Man was putting pressure on Loki’s wound to stop the bleeding. Thor would be mad at him otherwise. S.H.E.I.L.D was going to arrive in less than 5 minutes. They would have arrived sooner if they had known they needed a plane equipped with medical personnel.

Tony leaned down and studied Loki’s wound. Puncture, obviously from teeth, but a yellow festering substance oozed from it. An infection this early? Steve came back to the clearing. The girl’s leg jerked upwards and she briefly twitched before settling down again. Steve gently placed the girl on the ground, a few feet away. 

Clint looked up at him. “How’s she doing?”

“Not so well. Those things must have injected some sort of poison into her.”

Tony spoke up. “Poison? That must be what’s in Frosty’s shoulder over here. Oh, also,” Tony stood up and pointed at the stranger. “She has wings and can fly.” 

Steve raised an eyebrow. He had heard of some pretty strange things, but this was impossible. He caught Clint’s gaze and followed it. He was looking at the girl, but as to why, he couldn’t tell.

“And claws.” Clint pointed out.  Tony looked down at her hands that lay along her side. Black points, about an inch long, protruded from her fingertips.

“What the hell?” He intoned. “How the hell does that even work?” A moan called their attention to Loki. His head was lolling back and forth and his breathing quickened. Tony bent down again to check his shoulder. Just then, two helicopters appeared over the trees. One landed right next to them while the other landed on the other side of the lake, because of the lack of room.

The three heroes moved back to let agents do their jobs. Two gurneys were pulled out of the first one and rushed over to the injured. Agents poured out of the second one, scanning the area. Coulson walked over to them, and was filled in by Clint. 

Coulson looked over at the two bodies being carried into the helicopter. “I’ll go with them to the helicarrier. I need two of you to stay behind to clean out the area.” 

Clint looked over at the second copter to see Natasha giving him a pointed look from the pilot’s seat. He smiled. “I’ll stay behind.” 

“Me too.” Said Tony. “Could use some target practice.” With that, he jetted into the air. He was always obnoxious about being able having a cool suit.

 

In the helicopter, Steve and Coulson were talking about what was going to happen to the girl. 

“How does this usually go?” Steve asked, watching the personal care for their patients. Loki had been deemed the biggest priority, being the reason they were out here anyways. He had been strapped down in order to prevent him from escaping again.  The girl however, was a mystery. She was faring much better than him, even with her leg injury. 

“Ideally, we get to them before an incident. Then we take them in and reinstate them into a sort of witness protection program and get them integrated back into society.”

Gauze was wrapped around her leg. Suddenly, she jerked back and her eyes flew open. She tried to sit up, but fell back down, clutching her head. She shrank back and bared her teeth at the agent. Coulson moved to pull back the agent, knowing how potentially dangerous a mutant was.

“Stay back.” She growled at him. “Get away from me!”

“We’re here to help.” He replied, holding down her arm so someone else could inject a tranquilizer into her. Too weak to move, she glared at him. “That’s what they all say.” She spat, closing her eyes and bracing herself for the shot.

“They?” Coulson encouraged. It was best to get as much information out of her as possible.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” She opened her eyes at the needle withdrew from her skin. “Surprised you settled for me alive. I thought I was going to be ripped alive.” Coulson let go as he felt her body relax. Everyone stood back as she continued to struggle, knowing she would fall asleep in a few minutes. 

Steve looked at her as she settled back down and was surrounded in Agents moving her back to a safe position. “And if you don’t?” 

Coulson shook his head. “We do our best.” The machine hooked over Loki’s mouth hummed softly in the background. 

 

On the helicarrier, Loki’s eyes blinked wearily. “Brother?” Came a gentle voice next to him. 

“I’m not your brother.” Was his automatic response. “Loki! You’re ok!” shouted Thor.

“Fantastic.” He hissed back. “Now if you don’t mind, I would highly appreciate it if you wouldn’t grab on to me like a child.” Hesitantly, Thor released him from his embrace. 

“How do you feel? Do you need anything?”

“Yes. You to go away.” Loki said seriously. He actually did some need some time to figure out just what happened, and he didn’t trust any information that Thor gave him. That and he really didn’t want to be around his adopted brother. Dejected, Thor left the room. 

Not moving from his position, Loki scanned the room. He was in a rather small, white room, with barely enough room to maneuver around the bed he laid in. He looked up to see several cameras stationed around the walls, all of them pointed at him. He noticed that the door was probably steel, to keep him in. That meant that even as a mortal, they still feared him.

Good. He could use that fear as an advantage. He attempted to move his arms and legs, only to find that they were tightly strapped down to the bed. He signed. Usually, it would take nothing to release himself, but now…. He fought to keep a straight face in spite of the tragedy he faced. He was overcome in sadness he hadn’t felt since his…. No, _Friga_ died. 

He tried to recall the events of his escape and capture, in order to distract himself. He knew that he had thrown himself off the Bifrost, but what then. Ah, yes. After several minutes of falling through nothingness, he had landed in some sort of forest. For several hours, he had wandered around, trying to find civilization. Unfortunately, he had then crossed paths with some beast.

From then, it had all been a blur. He knew that it had bit his shoulder, and he looked down at his shoulder for confirmation. Sure enough, there was a bandage wrapped around it. Then he realized he was in one of those ridiculous midgardian _sheets_ they forced patients to wear. 

Grimacing inwardly, he tried to recall what had happened. Did someone…. Jump in after him? In his head, he saw flashes of memories, and remembered seeing someone meet his eyes. They were…. _Blue and determined. But why would…. She. It was definitely a she, jump in and save me? She clearly had no chance of fighting it off._

Before he could recall anything else, the door opened. Fury stepped in.

“So sleeping beauty is finally awake?” _What was up with these midgardians and their refrences?_

“Ah, Fury. I was beginning to wonder were you were.” Loki grinned menacingly.

“Save it. I came to get a few things straight.” Fury crossed his arms and glared at the trickster. He waited for a response, and when he didn’t get one, he continued. “Earth, or whatever you Asgardians call it, is in need of energy. We need you to help with research into that.”

Loki made a bored frown. “So why did you pick me of all people? You don’t trust me, surely?” 

“Look.” Fury boomed, pointing a finger at him. “We have no idea as to why you were dropped at our doorstep, and we don’t care that you apparently were not responsible for New York, but we still do mind that you tried to blow up a town in New Mexico. Personally, I would still like to throw you in a cell for the next thousand years or so. But we need to maintain a good relationship with Asgard, and we will not let you hinder that.”    

Loki smirked at Fury’s apparent, well, fury, at being stuck with him. “When do we start?’

“As soon as you get off of your lazy ass. Any more questions?” 

Loki shifted his gaze to the ceiling. “Who jumped in?” 

“We don’t really know. She woke up a few hours ago.” Fury opened the door and turned to go.  “She’s as incorrigible as you though.” He muttered under his breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uggggg...... School. I'll try to upload chapter tomorrow, and that's it for this week. I hope there are no mistakes. Now back to homework.


	5. Answers?

Angel’s eyes fluttered opened. She first noticed the softness of her bed. She hadn’t slept in one in such long time. She turned her head around to take in her surroundings. She was in a hospital like room. Next to her were whirring machines linked by a wrap around her arm. She looked down and saw that she was wearing a hospital gown. Her leg didn’t even hurt, though her arm ached dully. There were two doors, one probably to a bathroom.

A brief glimmer of hope flashed through her when she saw how well she was cared for. She squashed it like a bug when she saw the one way mirror and camera monitoring her. _They’re studying me. Watching. Hoping to wrap me around their fingers._ Immediately, she looked around for an exit.

The door clicked open, and Angel sat up royally straight. _Bring it. I’ve been through worse._ A man in a suit came in with a file and her messenger bag. The one who had held her down. _Jerk._

He set down the bag on the floor. “Hi. I’m Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Angel raised an eyebrow. “I’ve heard of it. What does it stand for?”

“Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. Someone really wanted our acronym to spell shield.” He joked.

“Fantastic. Let’s cut to cut to the chase. I’ve been kidnaped several times by people claiming to be S.H.I.E.L.D. They and others have wanted to experiment on me, so please excuse me if I don’t believe and trust you.”

Coulson opened his file and started to look through it. “You’re very blunt, you know. But this is faster than the protocols.” Shrugging, Angel slipped off her bed to the floor. _Cold floor, cold floor!_ She shook the robe to cover her legs, thanking God it had a back. She walked over to the window and pressed her face against it, squinting.

She saw shapes flash past; none seemed to be peering in. Phil spoke up. “So you want proof?”

Angel nodded. “Not a badge though. I want to see that I can trust you.” Her stomach growled. “And food.”

 

Phil walked down the corridor, searching for the Captain. He was a public figure known to be working for S.H.I.E.L.D. Figuring he would be in the workout room, he veered right. Sure enough, was with Clint and Natasha, practicing. Thor was somewhere else, the others at Stark Tower.

“Steve.” He called to the boxing ring.

“Just a sec.” he replied, dodging a punch from Clint. Natasha turned around. “How’s she doing?” Everyone on the ship had gotten used to calling the mutant, ‘she’.

He crossed over to stand with her. “Well. She didn’t complain about any pain. I don’t think she’s as violent as we first thought. She doesn’t think we’re S.H.I.E.L.D. though.” He chuckled.

“What?” Natasha eyed him, crossing her arms.

“She said that even if we were, she still needed proof that she could trust us. Like you did.” Natasha scoffed and nudged him.

“That just means she’s been through this before. We don’t exactly have the best reputation. You planning on introducing her to Steve?”

Clint ducked down and knocked the Captain to the floor with a thud. “He’s an American icon.” He explained. “How can she not trust him?”

Both of the men started to climb out of the ring. Quickly, the Black Widow turned to Phil. “Tell me. Are the rumors true?”

Phil raised an eyebrow. “Rumors?”

“That when she was fed through a feeding tube, they increased her intake to one and a half times more than someone of her weight could take, and she barely maintained her body weight.”

He looked the redhead dead in the eye. “Yes.” _Should have started out with the food._

 

Steve followed Coulson to the medical room. Suddenly, Coulson reached for his ear piece. “What?” He shouted. Rushing, he reached the door in several strides. He swung it open with a bang. Steve rushed to see inside. He saw the girl on the celling, one leg propped up against the opening of a vent, her hands pulling herself up. She paused when she saw them.

“Yeah.” She said after a moment. “Didn’t really think this one through.” Shaking her wet hair out of her face, she lowered herself to the floor, straightening her purple shirt over her jeans.

Glad that she went no further, he gestured next to him. “Meet Steve Rogers, better known as Captain America.” Steve reached out his hand.

“Nice to meet you.” He said simply. She smiled widely and took his hand to shake. “Likewise. An honor actually. You’re a part of the team that saved New York.”

He smiled shyly, still unused to this attention. “Just doing my job.” Angel turned to Phil. “Alright.” She eyed the food in his hand. “I believe you.” He passed her the tray. She took it happily and sat on the bed. She was weary from her exercise. The two men sat in chairs they pulled out from the corner of the room.

Normally, Steve would have left, but Natasha asked him to stay and tell her what happened. And honestly, he was as curious as anyone else. Taking up a cup with oranges, the girl shoveled them into her mouth.

“So.” Phil coughed to begin. She dipped her spoon into her vegetable soup. “What’s your name?”

“Angel Riker.” She said through slurps of soup. Both of them raised their eyebrows. “I am aware of the irony.”

“Age?” She tilted her head in thought, staring at the bowl.

“23.” Angel picked up the entire bowl and gulped down the contents.

“Are you a mutant?”

“Not exactly. It runs in the family.” She pinched the milk carton open.

“What are your powers?”

“I have claws, wings, and I can control wind. Or at least, I can push wind into blades. I probably have super endurance or something.” She chugged down the milk in one go. She looked down at her empty tray then back to them. “I’m going to need more. High metabolism.” She shrugged.

“I think that’s all I need right now.” Phil folded his papers up, taking her tray. “Any questions?”

“Yeah. How’s that guy I saved doing?”

“Fine. He still hasn’t woken up yet.”

Angel looked down. “Oh. Can I see him when he’s better?”

Steve and Phil looked at each other. “I’ll see what I can do.” Said Phil quickly, leaving the room. Rogers stopped at the door, looking back at Angel. “I’ll try to get someone to show you around, ok?”

Angel straightened up. “Alright.”

 

A half hour later, a woman with red hair came into the room. Angel sat up and pulled out her ear buds. She smiled and handed Angel the tray of food in her hand, sitting down and eating the other one she had. “Natasha Romanoff. I’m here to show you around.”

“Angel.” She picked up the burger and chomped down. After a few minutes, the girl was done, leaving Natasha with more than half of her plate left. Natasha couldn’t help but stare, but was ignored by Angel who had a million questions.

Angel stretched out on her back, folding her arms underneath her head. “Where am I?”

“The Atlantic ocean. A few miles from south Carolina.”

“Ocean?”

“We’re floating around in a helicarrier.”

Angel turned her head. “So it can fly.” It wasn’t a question. “How’s the guy I saved?”

“He woke up.” She paused. “There’s something you should know about him.”

“Shoot.”

“The attack on New York was led by him.” Angel sat up and gaped. “As it turns out, he was being controlled by someone else. You may have heard of Thor.”

“Yeah. The god of thunder who lives up to the name. He’s a part of the Avengers, right?”

“Yes. He’s from space. The man, his adoptive brother, was sent here from their world, Asgard. While he wasn’t held responsible for that attack, he was turned mortal and was banished her to help with research, for a previous attack in New Mexico.” The Black Widow paused to let it sink in.

Wide blue eyes blinked a few times. “What’s his name?”

“Loki. Also known as the god of mischief.”

“Damn.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last post of the week. Man, I want to write more Loki scenes, but I'm coming up with writer's block. Help? Thanks for the support btw!


	6. Introductions and Fair Warning

Later, Angel was shown around the helicopter. The first thing Natasha showed her were the upper decks. Right now, the command center was floating around, due to current fuel costs. Looking off the decks into the water, Angel felt the sudden urge to jump off and fly away. Or at least circle a few times. Flying was like drugs; she had to get her daily fix.

 _I would fly around, people staring at me, jaws dropped._ It was Angel’s dream to be praised for her flying skill. She frowned, causing Natasha to give her a strange look. _But then I would shut in a cage for the rest of my life. Like an animal._ She would gladly clip her wings if it meant she could be free for the rest of her life. But her DNA still held the genetic code for her wings.

Realizing what Angel wanted to do, Natasha tried to prompt her, wanting to see Angel fly.

“What’s it like to fly?” she asked.

Angel snapped back into reality. “It’s the most amazing thing it the world.” Natasha nodded, remembering getting her pilot’s license. Angel turned away, obviously wanting to leave. _I will not fly for them. I don’t care if they trust me._ Why did Angel trust them anyways?

Maybe it was because they healed her. Saved her. But mainly because they were her only chance. She had to tell someone before it was too late. She just needed to the right timing. She still didn’t trust them completely. Likewise with them to; they didn’t give her back her knives. But that was more understandable.

“I’ll show you the view from the windows.” Natasha couldn’t show her around many of the rooms, but she could show Angel some of her favorite places. Walking down the hallway, she stopped when she saw Thor and Loki talking. Well, only Thor. Loki was glaring at him, decisively a yard away.

It was too late to turn around, as Angel saw them and Thor had waved them over.

“Greetings.” He said to Angel. “I am Thor of Asgard. Thank you for your heroic actions.”

Angel smiled shyly. “I’m sure anyone would have done the same.” Next to her, Loki was staring at her. She turned to him and paused, not sure what to say.

“Uh. Hi?” he continued to stare, as if expecting her to do something. He had some height on her, so she had to lift her head slightly up to meet his eye. “Do you want to take a picture? It would last longer.”

After a moment he said in a deep, careful tone, “So you are the one who jumped into the water?”

 _Ungrateful bastard._ “Yeah. Got cut up pretty well.” She rubbed her bad arm for effect.

Thor laughed. “You’ll have to excuse Loki. He is not in such a good mood.” Angel smiled. She normally didn’t like guys who were bigger than her. They always threw their weight around, making Angel seem small and inferior. But he had a genuinely kind laugh that she found contagious.

“No kidding.” Loki said menacingly through bared teeth twisted into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Sensing that Loki was dangerous, Angel backed away a step. Natasha put a hand to her ear. “Fury needs you two in the meeting room.” For a second, Angel thought she was referring to Thor and Loki, but she was staring at her instead of Thor.

Thor nodded to Natasha. “I will lead them.” She followed a step behind him, right next to Loki who stared ahead passively. He showed them to glass room that overlooked the bridge. It was a simple room with a meeting table and chairs. Angel immediately went to the windows and looked out over the people working below.

Angel could feel Loki’s devilish grin boring into her. She was familiar with that look being directed at her.

“How’s your shoulder?” She asked for the sake of getting him to say _something_.

“I will live.” After a moment he asked in what might be mistaken for a concerned tone if you listened real close, “And you?”

“I’ve been through worse.”

“Really? Any worse would kill a mortal girl like you.”

A challenge. “You’d be surprised at what mortals can do.” He scoffed bitterly. “So I’ve learned. But it doesn’t compare to what warriors of Asgard go through.”

“You’d be amazed.” She said quietly.

“Though it is due the advanced methods of torture the nine realms have developed.” He said suggestively.

Angel turned and looked him in the eye. “You’d be surprised,” She drew out every syllable slowly, hanging on to each word. “At just what mortals will do to get what they want.” Loki eyed her warily, searching for any trace of a threat. Not finding one made even him want to shudder. Director Fury walked in, and Angel instantly ignored him.

Fury walked briskly in, not bothering to take a seat. “Director Nick Fury.” He introduced himself. “Angel Riker.” She replied. _God, it feels good to use my real name. I’m so sick of Elaine Mose._

“I came here to tell you both that now that you’re stable; you’ll be moved to a secure facility.” Loki expected this, but Angel didn’t seem to be very happy about it. Granted, he wasn’t either, but she looked uncomfortable. _Just who is she?_

Loki rolled his eyes. “That’s all? You rounded us up just to tell us this?”

Fury glared at him. “No. It’s so _someone_ doesn’t try another half assed escape attempt.” Just then, four agents came in, fully armed, and wrangled Loki out the door. Loki didn’t even try resisting this show of brute force. Nick Fury gestured to the door. “You gonna follow?”

Angel shook her head. “There’s something I need to tell you about.” She waited for a response, but when she got none, she continued. “As you probably know, I’ve been kidnapped, captured, whatever, a lot. Well, those people are trying to genetically copy my more, uh, _beneficial_ hereditary traits. And it’s not just me. I would keep an eye,” (ha ha, get it?) “on any above average super humans you have.”

Fury’s expression was unreadable. “Why?” He simply asked. Angel turned away from his gaze, gulping. “Ever since New York,” she began. “People have been scared. And whether privately or collaboratively, they’ve been preparing. They’ve been genetically engineering _creatures_ for an army. Their methods are not exactly _humane_ and some are thinking to go a little beyond defending themselves.”

“You’re saying that they want to take over?”

“Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School man....... Soooo much homework. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.


	7. Sounds

Later, Angel found herself in some sort of aircraft, sitting a few seats away from a handcuffed trickster god strapped down. Angel was not very comfortable with this arrangement. For the past hour, she had been listening to her iPod, resisting the urge to rip open this metal tin and fly out into the great beyond, never to be seen again.

Angel took a breath. She was never an antsy person, she was always calm. But it’s been _days_ since she’s flown on her own. Being forced to let a plane do all the work was agonizing and boring. She looked to see what Loki was doing. Which was staring straight at her again. 

 _Asshat._ Normally, she would smack anyone who so rudely stared at her, but she could tell that he was also bored. She took out her right ear bud and held it out to him. “You like Imagine Dragons?” He just looked at her warily. “It’s a band. Music.” _Did he grow up on a rock?_

Hesitating, he took it from her and placed it in his ear. Biting her lip to keep herself from smiling. ‘Tiptoe’ restarted again. In her peripheral vision, she studied his reaction. His eyes flicked up, hanging on to every word. She couldn’t tell if he enjoyed it. At ‘Amsterdam’ his lips quirked back for a second. She thought she saw his eyes brighten slightly at ‘Working Man’ _No one can resist the beat._

He seemed confused by ‘Selene’ and ‘Underdog’, she thought for a second that he was tapping his foot to ‘It’s Time’ but he was only shifting in his seat. He started at ‘Radioactive’, and hunched his shoulders slightly at ‘Nothing Left to Say/Rocks’, ‘Bleeding Out’ and ‘Demons’. She quickly changed over to ‘Good Morning Sunshine’ By Alex Day. He looked at her questioningly. She returned the look.

 

The next day, Angel was walking up and down the hallway, anxious. _I have to go fly. I need to go fly_. Thoughts like that had been running in her head since 6 A.M. when she had woken up in a cold sweat. She just _had_ to fly. Around noon yesterday, she had arrived at a compound in New Mexico. She was told it was a base that also served as a hospital for injured Agents. It was also in the middle of nowhere, so Loki had no place to run to.

Most of it was underground, but 6 stories where above ground. It had a style similar to the helicarrier, but she could tell it was meant to be a secure base and not one for attacks and defense. She currently was 8 stories below, housed at the end of a hallway. She was wandering the halls to look for something to do, something to release the energy inside.

_I am about to exppplllooodddeeeee….._

_Beep, beep_. Flashing red lights and sirens made her jump. _Shit. I know better than to stay in one place for too long._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd an extra chapter because I had time. A little fluff, a little development, and a little fluff. Just cause' I really want to write some Angel/Loki, but I can't really do that at this point in the story.


	8. Team up?

Angel ran down the hall, searching for a staircase. _Again with the friggin running!_ They most definitely stopped the elevator, and probably had the staircase secure, but she might be able to fly straight up to the top floor. From then on, she could make it to the roof.

She heard sounds from around the corner and skidded to a halt. _Shit_. Angel ran the other way, thankful of the pain medicine she was pumped with. It dulled the sharp pain in her leg. Suddenly, she was yanked by the arm, and shoved against a wall. She yelped as pain shot up her arm. Immediately, she withdrew her claws and turned to face her attacker.

Her eyes widen when she saw that it was Loki.

 

In his room, Loki had jumped when he heard the alarm. Quickly, he exited, knowing it was the perfect chance to escape. When he had seen the mortal who had saved him, he grabbed her, knowing that there was an off chance she would help him. He had seen how she paced down the halls; he knew too well the look of someone who just wanted to get away from the four walls that had them surrounded.

She had yelped he pressed her against the wall. He covered her mouth when she opened it to say something. He had to admit, this mortal kept him on his toes. Never in a million years would he have expected her to _lick_ his palm. He withdrew his hand, glaring at her. She just gave him a look. _Why are midgardians so strange? Even their music is odd._ Loki still could not figure out what instruments had been in the music the mortal had shown him, or even why she even shared, beyond the fact that they were both bored.

He rolled his eyes and wiped his hands down his clothing. Even their clothing was weird. He was wearing what they called _jeans_ and a green long sleeved _t shirt._ He was thankful that it had covered up the tracking bands that had been placed a few inches above his wrists. He bared his teeth and gestured to a door a few feet to the right.

Understanding, she slid into the room. He took note of her strange dress. Her torso was covered in a baggy blue fabric with a sort of hood. Her pants were ripped and seemed a little short, her hair well over her shoulders, wild, and (for lack of a better word) fluffy.

Stormy blue eyes stared at him. “We’ve got to go or we’re dead. You coming?” She asked.

“So you’re aquatinted with them?” he stepped forward menacingly. She crossed her arms and looked him dead in the eye. “Yeah. And if you don’t want to see your organs ripped out one by one, we better get going.”

“We?” He repeated.

“Yes, we. I can tell you want out as much as I do, and we both know that neither of us can make it on our own, injured like this.”

He smirked. _Feisty_. “When do we leave?” She looked around the room, searching for something. “As soon as we get some weapons.”

 

Angel looked through some drawers for anything useful. “Here.” Said Loki from behind. She turned to see him pulling out several objects from under his pillow. He held up several blades from shaving razors and two kitchen knives. She smiled. _Sneaky bastard._   

Angel walked over to him, and he handed her a knife with jagged edges. “Do you have a plan?” she asked. “I was thinking that we could take the stairs.” With a click of the door, the pair slid out the door, watching the end of the hallway. Side by side, they turned down several corners.

Turning around one corner too fast, they caught sight of five men in grey uniforms, obviously not from S.H.E.I.L.D. Unfortunately, this also meant that they were also seen. Before one could call for back up, Loki threw a blade into his neck. The rest advanced, turning the corner.

Angel ducked and rolled forward, kicking one down in the chest. She punched him in the head before leaping under another’s legs. Loki tore a gun out of one’s hands and dug his knife into his side. With his other hand, he knocked the other one’s head into the wall. He turned to see Angel brushing hair out of her face, standing over two bodies. _Impressive._

They advanced to the staircase, checking for any sign of anyone else. “What floor?” Loki whispered as they ran up the steps, careful footprints tapping the floor. “The roof.”

He raised an eyebrow. “The roof?” he said with an attitude.

She rolled her eyes. “We can scale down the building. They probably have the exits blocked.” _And from there I can fly._ She needed Loki to escape, but she wasn’t going to actually help him escape. He was the God of Lies after all. He probably knew this. But she wasn’t about to let him, anyone really, get hurt by these _monsters who…_ She stopped that thought as soon as it crossed her mind.

Besides, she needed to get away from here to protect whoever was here. As soon as they knew that she escaped, they would leave the compound. A frown crossed her face as they reached the top, stopping for a breath. Loki made a questioning face at her.

“They never gave me my goddam knives back.” He smiled genuinely for once, quickly hiding it. He turned his head around towards the sounds of shouting a few flights down. Angel opened the door with a loud bang, Loki following.

“ _Brilliant_ plan. Should I raise the white flag?”

“Shut up.” She replied, turning to eye the door, backing up slowly. Loki crossed his arms and hovered over her menacingly, following. “Then how _,_ pray tell, are you going to get us out of this?”

Angel grabbed his arm, pulling him back. “Don’t touch me!” He yelled violently.

“I said shut up!” hissed Angel. “Trust me.” Loki stopped suddenly. “Are you insane?” On a normal day, Angel would punch him in the gut, but she was too busy watching the men with guns pointed at them. Loki reached for his knife (just who he was going use them on, Angel wasn’t sure) as arms wrapped around his waist. He froze awkwardly. Squeezing tightly, she jumped off.


	9. Flight

In hindsight, it wasn’t a very smart idea. Granted, she _could_ technically carry him, but she wasn’t exactly at her best. The weight dipped her down, but she managed to catch a draft that, with some flapping, lifted them up and away, far enough to be out of danger. Loki clutched around her neck and back, pinching his eyes shut. _Noob_.

“You ok?”

Loki managed to unhinge his jaw. “ _No_ not _really.”_ Angel smiled and angled down to descend. Unwillingly, he braced his forehead against her shoulder. Slowing down, she let his feet drag them to a halt. He immediately let go and rolled a few feet in the dirt. Angel landed smoothly, holding her wings out to cool them off.

Loki clawed at the ground, panting and shaking. Under his breath, he cursed in a foreign language. He looked over at Angel, waving her wings around. _Gloating,_ he thought, but this wasn’t true.

“You forgot to mention _that._ ” He spat like it was a curse.

She glared at him. “Shut up.” He sat up on his knees, rubbing his arms. The desert was _freezing_ at night. “Brilliant plan.” He said sarcastically. “Now what’s the next step? _Freeze_ to death?”

“I saved your life! Twice!” Angel reminded. Scoffing, she tore off her hoodie and threw it at him. “There. Now I’m going to fly around for a bit then go back.” Loki picked up the sweater like it was a diaper. “Wasn’t the point to escape?”

“The point was to lead them away until S.H.E.I.L.D got proper back up. Now don’t go anywhere.” He sneered at her. “I’ll kick your ass if you do.” With that, she flew off.

 

Loki had to admit, her wings were one of the most amazing things he had ever seen. Though ruffled and dirty, the moon light radiated off her snowy plumage. Her wing strokes were fierce yet soft and graceful. And now that he thought about it, she was also kind of pretty. She could never reach the standards of Asgaurdian maidens, but still.

 _What am I thinking?_ Loki snapped back to the situation at hand. Reluctantly, he pulled over the hoodie she had given him. Its smell was distinctive, earthy like honeysuckle…. He mentally slapped himself. _Don’t be a fool._ He turned his attention to the bands around his arms. How the _hell_ was he going to get out of this one?

 

A mile away, Angel soared over the open skies, a whirl of white in the inky blackness. She spun on her back, filling her vision with tiny lights that leaked out of their velvet casing. Stifling a gasp of amazement, she flipped over and dived straight down. Wind streaked through her hair, tickling her skin. She flattened her wings, wanting to go faster. Only yards away, she spread her wings, grazing the ground. With a holler, she brushed her hands against the dirt.

She was _alive._

An hour later, her growling stomach told her it was time to go back. Banking, she flew in the direction of the compound. Below, she saw a man pointing and directing vans and people just outside the facility. Assuming he was in charge, she dove towards him. She resisted the natural urge to turn around from the stares directed at her, as the man was tapped on the shoulder and she was pointed out to him.

It was Coulson, who calmly watched her land 2 yards away from her. “Where’s Loki?” he asked before her feet even touched the ground. “A few miles south.” She let her wings fold and shrink into her back. Abruptly, a weight slammed into her side. Angel spun and let the momentum roll the agent off of her. She pinned his head to the ground with her knee.

“What the hell?!” she screeched, outraged. “I thought you were helping me!”

“The higher ups ordered it.” He replied somberly. “You helped Loki escape.”

“I helped him live!” She punched a woman who tried to grab at her in the face. “I know these people, and I can guess at what he’s like. They will kill anyone who resist, and he definitely would resist.” Swarmed, she felt her limbs being grabbed and her head being forced downwards. A needle pricked her neck. Angel screamed and tried to fight. Tears threatened to fall as her struggle tossed the needle around, ripping her skin open.

As quickly as it started, the agents trickled away, staring at her. She attempted to sit up, fighting the sleepiness that dragged her down. Only managing to lift herself to her knees, she shot Coulson a dark look. “You have no idea of what I am willing to do in order to stop those monsters from getting what they want.” She said this evenly, as easily as if she were at full strength. Angel felt herself slipping, her vision blurring.

In a smaller voice, “I will go to hell and back to stop them.” Agents tore away, losing interest in the show. Seeing the audience leaving, she shouted out, “I would save the devil himself from their grasp!” Angel dropped, getting dizzy.

“And I probably did.” She whispered. The scene was dead quiet, but only a few heard, including Phil. She felt her wrist being lifted, _(for a pulse_ she thought faintly) and a rough blanket being pulled over her before everything went dark, voices fading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy! Constructive criticism is welcome!


	10. Dreams

For once, Angel dreamed. Or at least, she remembered it for once. Usually she woke up in a pool of sweat, sometimes tears, and it used to worry her until she had gotten used to it. She knew it should bother her, but as long as she never remembered her dreams, she didn’t really care anymore. But this was a very pleasant dream for once.

She was lying in the sun, on top of one of those lounging things. It was soft and furry. _Fake fur_ , she thought calmly. It was funny that this was such an important detail she remembered. A girl with golden curls appeared with a stack of books in her arms. She told Angel the most fascinating fairytales and asked her about what she thought of them; of the characters, the scenery, and their motives.

The girl started to cry when the Ugly Duckling was wallowing in misery. Angel wrapped her wings around the child, hugging her and resting her chin on her head. “Every ugly duckling is actually a beautiful swan.” She reminded.

Later, they went through a walk through a garden. Together, they admired the flowers and trees. Down the path, Angel caught a glimpse of a tall man in green, and she called his name out. She couldn’t hear just what she said, but she knew she said his name. The last echoes of her dream were laughter, as she snuggled the grass and watched clouds.

 

Angel awoke to a cold floor. It sent shivers down her spine, and she forced herself to keep her eyes closed. She felt voices come in and go, but she held on to the hope that if she didn’t open her eyes, she could fall back into her dream land. After about half an hour, she gave up and peaked around at her surroundings.

She was in the center of a large circular room. Harsh lights flooded in, causing her to squint. There were four large windows separated by columns. Behind her was a softly padded bench. _Not a room, a prison._ The only entrance was a door in one of the glass wall, with no handles.

Stiffly, she eased herself onto her back. Wiping her eyes, she examined herself for any new wounds. Other than some particularly nasty bruises along her ribs and upper arm, she was fine. She felt the back of her neck for place the needle tore. She checked her arm to find that the bandage had been taken off. Left behind was a scar that was already fading. She had always healed really fast.

Even the thick gauze was replaced with a thin bandage. Now that that evaluation was over with, she turned her attention to her hygiene. Her hair was a mess, and she wouldn’t be surprised if there was a rat living in it. Her breath was rank, her legs hairy. _Well, it’s not like I could help it!_ _God, I am disgusting._ Shaking her head, she stood up to see what was beyond the walls.

The cage was in a room covered in metal, and that’s all she could really describe it as. Angel found a camera staring at her and decided to entertain her audience. She blinked innocently and waved like a small child, clumsily. She gave her best commercial smile and mouthed a few choice words.

Seconds later, Coulson and Natasha walked in. After an awkward moment, Angel spoke up. “Hey.” She said bitterly. “How’s it going?”

“The council is still deciding what to do with you.” said Coulson.

“Who’s watching me?” she gestured to the camera watching her. Natasha answered for him. “Pretty much anyone on the ship that wants to. Mostly the higher ups though.”

“Great.” Angel smiled mischievously, turning to the camera. She held up her middle fingers and mouthed a few more choice words. After she was done, she looked back to the pair. Natasha was hiding a smirk while Coulson looked exasperated. “You’ll probably regret that.”

“And they’ll probably regret jabbing a pointy stick in my neck. Now could I at least have my iPod?” Coulson sighed and gestured to the column closest to her. “Sweet!” she pulled out the device and ear buds. “How’s Loki?” she asked, scrolling through her playlist. “He didn’t freeze to death, right?”

“He’s ok.” said Natasha. They left Angel to enjoy her music.

 

If there was one thing in the world that Angel couldn’t live without, it was her music. She danced wildly to ‘We Built This City’, screamed the lyrics to ‘Gives you Hell.’ Angel looked straight into the camera and sung, “And you’ll never see what you’ve done to me. You can take back your memories there’re no good to me. And here’s all your lies, you can look me in the eyes! With the sad, sad look that you wear so well!”

And to ‘Nearly Witches’, she mocked danced the waltz, spinning like she was dancing with a partner. She sung ‘The Calendar’ and ‘Some Kind of Monster’ more off key than what was necessary, but sung a nice rendition of ‘Over my Head’, before finally collapsing. She curled up under the bench, her back turned to the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's the playlist I was listening to while writing this....


	11. A New Living Arangement

“Wake up!” a voice boomed behind her. Angel grumbled and scooted out from her resting spot. “I sure hope you have food.” She hadn’t eaten in a long time. “What time is it?” she asked. Her iPod had long been dead, and it had to have at least been the next day.

“9 o’ clock, Friday.” _Two days since that night. I must have been asleep for a while._ Her stomach growled loudly, and Fury looked as if he expected an ‘excuse me’ but Angel did not feel like it was _her_ place to say so. “I swear to God, if you don’t pull a chicken sandwich out of your coat, I’m going to starve.” She was half serious. She stumbled upwards, cursing her decision to sleep curled up in a fetal position.

Fury stared at her as she attempted to straighten herself out. “Don’t look at me that way. I haven’t exactly had the chance to clean up.”

Fury resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “I have a proposal.” He said. “How about joining the Avengers initiative?” Angel paused and looked up from tying her shoes. Beyond all the thoughts of joining _the friggin Avengers!,_ it meant that most importantly, she could get out. Then she got slightly ticked off.

“So first I’m sedated like a wild bear and now you want me to join your elite team of superheroes? How’d your little council react?”

“It was their idea.” Fury was already at the cage controls. Even though it meant that Angel was going to get free, the idea was absolutely insane. “Let me get this straight.” Her voice was strained and disbelieving. “You want an unstable, viscous, defiant, scrawny little bird girl to join your team of remarkable super humans?”

Fury shot her a slightly amused look. “They’re also unstable, viscous, and defiant. Well, some of them.” The cage opened and Angel wasted no time getting the hell out of there.

 

Several hours later, Angel found herself being escorted to a car in New York City. She was denied the permission to fly there herself, which annoyed her. When she got in, she found a woman with strawberry blonde hair in white business attire, holding a bag of fast food. “Hello.” she said, extending her free hand. “I’m Pepper Potts, but you can call me Pepper.” Angel shook her hand. “Angel Riker.”

“So I’ve heard you like to eat.” Pepper smiled and handed her the bag. Coulson had tipped her off about her high metabolism. And about her behavior tendencies. Angel’s face lit up as she saw that there were _three_ big macs with _three_ orders of fries. Practically a feast for her. “Thank you!” She pulled her bag off and set it to the side along with her two knives.

Pepper ignored the foot and a half long knives; though she couldn’t say they worried her. But she was more used to it than she should be; especially when she had to deal with living with two assassins. _This girl can eat!_ Angel was already half way done through the first burger.

“So.” She began. “I should probably begin with who you’ll be living with. First there’s me and Tony. We live on the top floor, but the living and dining rooms are also up there, so you’ll be up there a lot. Everyone else lives on the floor below.”

Pepper quickly explained the living arrangements and who was who. Thor and Jane shared a room down one hall. Down the other, Natasha, Jane’s assistant Darcy, then her room. Across the hall, Steve, Bruce, Clint, and Loki. The floor below that was research, and below that was a workout room. Angel had finished the entire meal when Pepper finished, much to her surprise.

“I even got some clothes for you. Maybe us girls can even go shopping one day.”

Angel brightened. “Really? Thank you! That’s so kind. But um… I don’t really have any money…”

Pepper shook her head. “It’s no big deal. S.H.E.I.L.D is paying for it. Besides, I did the same thing for Jane.” Angel smiled. She really liked this woman and her generosity. Eventually, they arrived at the tower and rode the elevator; a trip that took a few minutes.

A mechanical voice startled her. “Good morning Mrs. Potts.” Angel looked around, confused. “That’s our A.I system, Jarvis. If you need anything, just ask.”

Pepper led her down the hallway into her room. She noticed that with the way the hallway was set up, she was across from Loki’s room. She could tell it was his by the name plates that were next to each door. Pepper turned on a light and Angel stepped in. “Now it’s smaller than the other rooms since it was meant to be a temporary guest room, but I think you’ll like the view.”

Angel stopped in awe of what was going to be her room. In the center was a large bed, and to the right of her, a closet and a door to a bathroom. Next to the bed was a nightstand and lamp. In front was a set of drawers. In the corner next to the bed near the outer wall was a desk. With an _actual laptop!_ But the best feature was the window.

It took up most of the wall and its curtains matched the blue shades of the bed and wall. It stuck out about a yard, leaving a comfortable amount of space for two people. The sides that jutted out were also glass; the view looking out over the city below. The curtains were situated so that one could sit and hide behind them.

“I’ll leave you to settle in. Dinner’s at 6 upstairs. If you get lost, ask Jarvis for directions.”

Angel walked over to the view. “Thanks. This is beautiful.” After Pepper left, Angel started to unpack and explore her new space. She hung her few shirts in the closet and saw that the entire closet was filled with a new wardrobe for her, ranging in various styles. One outfit that hung on the inside door seemed to be made for stealth combat; it was black and cool looking. It seemed that it would bend with the wearer’s movements.

In drawers she found underwear, _why is it in my size and why and I ok with that?,_ and jeans. _Maybe they just took note of the size of my clothes in by bag. Still creepy, yet convenient._ She even found a few pairs of gloves that seemed designed only for gripping. _Ah, sweet! Fingerless! I’ll be a total badass._ She pulled an old lunchbox with faded ‘Star Wars a New Hope’ a cover and placed it in a drawer. It held her precious few trinkets and photos.

She placed her knives on top of the drawers. Since she hadn’t had much to unpack, she had enough time to take a shower. A few minutes before 6, she gained the courage to meet the rest of her new roommates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exposition blah blah blah.... Can't wait to write more Loki scenes. Any advice or suggestions are appreciated! I hope there are not mistakes plot relevant; I didn't really check. I know the clothing mysteriously appearing plotline is cheap, but I really don't want to waste time on it. Anyway, enjoy!


	12. Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't proofread, don't care, now back to homework.

Loki poked his head out the door to see if anyone was going to force him to eat dinner with the group. Luckily, it seemed that they had finally given up on dragging him upstairs. Dinner with the group was rather exhausting. Beyond the awkwardness that was persistently present, their manners were atrocious. With Thor and the Captain’s appetite, Clint’s possessiveness, and Stark’s annoying tendency to reach over everyone for food, it was an event that Loki actively avoided.

The food itself didn’t agree with him either. The majority of it was far too greasy for him to stomach. The door across from him suddenly opened. His eyes interlocked with the girl’s. “Angel was it?” he said slowly.

She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “Dude. I saved your butt twice. I think you know it by now.”

He ignored the comment. “I’ll take that as a yes. I’ve looked up some midgaurdian terms and….”

“Earth. We’re called Earth.”

“Ah yes. _Earth_ terms, and I find your name to be most fascinating. Though the fact that no angels in your bible have wings, yet they are pictured that way in your culture perplexes me.”

“Yeah well, my parents liked the irony.” Angel shrugged and straightened, sensing a challenge. “Oh.” He exclaimed in a sarcastic tone of voice, leaning his arm on the doorway. It was obviously to show the power he had in the situation. If that made since. “So your parents knew you would be born with a certain genetic trait?”

 _Manipulative ass._ Her claws withdrew automatically. She dug her claws into her leg to stop herself from slicing his throat. A natural country accent hinted in her next few words. “I know you’re trying to getting me to reveal something.”

He tilted his head slightly and smirked. “So you have something to reveal.” An icy silence froze the air as she fitted him with a death glare. After the pause, she swiftly kicked him below the belt line. Loki’s eyes bulged and he grabbed the area in pain with a groan. Angel rolled her eyes. That was a love tap compared to other blows she had both delivered and taken.

“Come on prissy. Don’t want to be late for dinner.” Angel knew that she hadn’t handled that situation in a way that would be glorified in heaven, but she was still sore about her parents. And she didn’t like being talked literally down to by someone who should be grateful to her.

 

Angel took a breath and walked into the open living space. There the Avengers stood around in various areas. Tony and a man who must be Bruce were at a kind of computer, Steve, Pepper, and a girl she assumed to be Darcy in the kitchen standing over pots of food. Thor stood close to a woman that must be Jane near Natasha and a man who she learned was Clint.

They looked at her curiously as she stepped into the room. She smiled shyly. “Hey.” Sensing her predicament, Natasha swooped in to introduce her to the group. Loki parted to sit on the couch and basically ignored everyone else. They formed a kind of circle, except for the ones in the kitchen.

“So.” Natasha started. “I don’t think you’ve properly met Clint.” He nodded stoically at her. “Jane.” The woman next to Thor smiled kindly. “Thor.” He gave his dazzling smile. “Bruce.” Bruce murmured a ‘nice to meet you’. “And Tony.”

“Hey. You’ve may have heard of me. Being Iron Man and everything. Hey, I’ve found a fellow aviation expert. Maybe we could share a few notes.”

Angel realized that he, and probably everyone else, was curious about her flying ability. She should have expected this, but she wasn’t really used to showing people. But while she was used to hiding it, it was second nature to her.

“Maybe we could even race.”

Tony’s eyes lit up. “Really? Now? Let me get my suit.” Just then, Pepper called them for dinner. Tony groaned. “Better luck next time.” Said Natasha.

 

Everyone stared at Angel as she shamelessly devoured her plate of spaghetti. Especially Loki since he hadn’t been told of her ravenous appetite. Reaching for a slice of bread, Angel finally realized the reason for the silence. She bit down hesitantly. Thor suddenly laughed. “A healthy appetite!” he declared. The silence broke with laughter. Angel decided that she was eternally grateful. Loki left the table as soon as he was done.

Later, Natasha and Clint insisted on showing her the gym downstairs. But Pepper reminded them that that she couldn’t start until she gained enough weight, doctor’s orders. No puppy dog looks could persuade her. So Jane suggested that she could show Angel around the lab. She was saved that bore by Darcy suggesting that ‘we should totally watch a movie’.

So after watching the Princess Bride, Angel was officially overwhelmed and retired to her room. Dawning sleep pants and an oversized shirt, she tried to settle in the bed. Finding that it was cold and not worn in; she gathered blankets from the closet and threw them on the bed. Spreading them around, she curled under the cloth, weaving her limbs through the blankets. Finding that she was sufficiently snug in her nest, she looked out her window at the city lights. Her last thoughts were about the hunters after her; and that she couldn’t stay long.

 

In his bedroom, Loki stretched across his perfectly made bed. Possibilities of the girl’s origins scrolled through his mind. It was more interesting than the equations he was given to work on. _She has to be a mutant. No Valkyrie ever had that appetite. But maybe in a mortal form, one has to consume that much to maintain one’s strength._ Loki signed. A nagging voice in his head told him that he could just ask rather than try to lead her to let something slip; but he doubted that she would ever tell him. Especially after his attempt and its results the first time.

He suddenly scoffed in irritation. They had accepted her so fully already; while he was still an outsider. Of course his condescending comments never helped, but still. And the fact that he came to their planet to rule it never helped either. Sighing, he looked out his window. His thoughts drifted to Angel and her incredible wings. He stopped himself. _But that’s the only vaguely interesting thing about that mortal._ He continued to refuse to think of mortals as anything above goats.

And so he was reduced to their size. It frustrated him. He was so limited in this form; so dull without his buzz of magic. But he couldn’t stop thinking about the Avengers and their skill. Even the assassins held their own remarkable well. Giving up the argument with himself, he thought of those beautiful wings he saw streak across the night sky. The fear and excitement as he to flew in the air. Then he started to think about the girl herself.

She was strange. Some things she took lightly, other times she was intense. Sometimes she was calm, then suddenly jumpy. Loki had seen her pace for hours in the hospital. When they were strangers (not much better than they were now though) she had saved him. Even when she couldn’t trust him, she teamed up with him. Granted, she had needed him and this had happened to him before, she had also saved him when she could have left him on the roof. He remembered sinking to the bottom of the lake, and blurring images of being hauled to shore.

He remembered the look in her eyes as she dived in. It was desperate and determined. Eventually, he fell into a light sleep.


	13. Encounters

The next day, Angel woke up in a cold sweat. She looked to the clock on her nightstand. 7:30. She threw off her covers, creating a mess of blankets on the floor. Angel took a quick shower and threw on a t shirt and jeans. She caught the Captain in the elevator. He gave her a bleary good morning. He got off at the gym floor, and she caught a glimpse of Natasha and Clint.

Angel was fixing four scrambled by 8. She finished her meal with a tall glass of milk and a bowl of honey nut cheerios. Darcy walked in and reached for the box of lucky charms. “Good morning.” She said. “Who’s up?”

“Steve, Natasha, and Clint as far as I know. Who else?”

“Pepper left, Tony is building something, and Bruce, Jane, and Thor are in the lab. Oh hey, in half an hour do you want to go to the library? I got to pick up coffee to.”

“I would love to!” Angel stopped and thought for a second. “Is Loki up?”

Darcy rolled her eyes. “He’s _never_ up. Or at least, he barely leaves his room. He might be a vampire. He only comes out for dinner after sunset.” Darcy poured her bowl and left. Angel thought for a second about how that lately, she seemed to lapse into a false sense of security and trust. But this time, she thought she could actually have faith in her new companions. Too bad she couldn’t stay for long. She might be able to stay for 2 weeks at most. Maybe long enough to get S.H.E.I.L.D invested in finding the people creating the mutant armies.

Kind of a priority.

 

Angel knocked at Loki’s door. “Hey! Tall, pale, and tragic!” The door swung open almost instantly. Ignoring his irritated glare, she shoved the plate of eggs at him. “Food.” He looked down with an obvious distain. “What is this?”

“Scrambled eggs.” He raised his eyebrows in a way that said, ‘really?’. “Take it.” She growled.

Sighing, he took it from her hands. “If you insist on this, then please take this down to Dr. Banner.” He handed her a paper with neatly written numbers. She grabbed it and Loki shut the door. After a minute of studying it, Angel knocked again. His reaction to opening the door was slower this time.

Loki bared his teeth at her. “ _What?_ ” Undeterred, she shoved the paper in his face. “You forgot to bring down your GCF.” He scanned the paper. “GCF?” he repeated.

“Greatest common factor. See?” She pointed to the beginning of the equation where there was a number. “You didn’t bring it down.” His expression was unreadable. He snatched it from her and wrote in the number before handing it back, and closing the door. Angel smiled and rolled her eyes.

 

Later, Angel found herself walking through aisles of books. She glanced down at the list in Darcy’s hand. “What are you looking for?”

Darcy handed her the list and continued to scan the shelves. “Loki wants me to pick up something about Valkyries.”

 _Valkyries?! That son of a…._ Angel stopped herself and breathed in. “I already have my book. I can find those for you. “

“Really? Thanks!” Darcy ran off to the fiction section. Angel shoved Darcy’s notes about Loki’s books into her pocket. She already knew some titles that she had read before about Valkyries.

 

Angel knocked on Loki’s door. Again, Loki opened it. He was surprised to see her instead of Darcy with his books. She tossed a stack of books into his arms. Angel tilted her head and gave him a sarcastic smile. “Here you go. I found you some books on Valkyries. Plays, myths, and even some about sighting of angels.” She held up a book to his face. “Everything you ever wanted to know about humanoid creatures with wings. There’s even a book of bird anatomy.

“Too bad that there’s nothing here that’s true and will explain why I have wings.” Angel stepped forward and looked him straight in the eye. “It might be easier to just ask.” Angel left Loki standing there, bewildered.  

 

For a week, Angel wondered around Stark Tower. She hadn’t seen Loki since the thing with the books. It was easier in such a big place. She still wasn’t allowed to train in the gym, so she spent most of her time looking down at the city below. Sometimes she even fell asleep on the balcony, much to Pepper’s horror. She even visited the lab. Mostly though, she walked around central park.

But Angel was on edge the entire time. It was secretly agonizing to be so high in the air, but unable to fly. _How would people even react?_ She didn’t even want to think about it. Right now though, she was in her room, curled up in her little nook. She wrapped her blankets into a nest and settle down with ‘Lord of the Flies’. So far it was good, in a horrific kind of way.

 

Loki stood on the other side of Angel’s door, prepared to knock. After hesitating, he did. “Who is it?” said a voice.

“Loki.” There was a pause. “Why are you here?”

“I’m here to apologize.” Another pause. “Come in.” Loki went in to see Angel sitting in a nest of blankets in her nook, a book in hand. _Like a bird nestled in her nest,_ he thought, amused. He stood there not knowing what to do. She looked at him, not giving him any indication of what he should do. He decided that standing was his best tactic. He held his head high, his hands folded behind his back.

“I am sorry for trying to manipulate you. I was curious and that’s what I usually have to resort to in order to gather information.”

Angel tilted her head. “When are you forced to manipulate people?” Loki shrugged and sat on the corner of the unmade bed. “Quite often when you have to dig your idiot brother out of idiotic situation her drags you into.”

Angel straightened and considered this. Then she shook her head. “I don’t want to know.” She shut the book in her hands with a clump. “Anyway, I accept your apology. But I’m still not going to tell you.” She noticed that this seemed to deflate Loki. “You expected me to tell you?” She sassed. She mocked held her hands to her heart.

“Oh, I accept your heartfelt apology.” Then folding her hands and shaking them, “Oh please let me tell you my entire life story so you can blackmail me!” Loki shrunk down even more. Angel rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’m going out. Do you want to go to? Or are you tethered to your room.”

He ignored her question. “Why do you so readily accept that meager apology?”

“You’re not the highest on my hit list, and S.H.E.I.L.D is probably doing the same thing. Even the Avengers probably are. But you should be grateful to me, so it offended me. But then I _did_ kick you in the balls, so I call it even. Though I am surprised I didn’t hurt you more than I did.”

Loki realized what she meant. “Oh, clever. Though I do wonder. Who is on your hit list?”

“People trying to exploit my DNA for their army of mutants. Now can you go or not?”

Loki filed that note in his mind. It took all his effort to not ask about it. “Why do you want me to go with?”

Angel clambered out of her nest. “Truth be told, I’m lonely and bored.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates might slow down a bit. Big test and papers coming up. Anyway, thanks! Side note, God FORBID you forget to bring down your GCF in my math class. And heaven help you if you solve when you have to factor.


	14. Getting Comfortable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loki's bored, Angel's bored, they do stuff. If its out of character, I don't really care. it's cute.

Much to the Avenger’s hesitance, they allowed Loki and Angel to go to central park. On the way, a man holding a purse was running towards them. A woman’s cry for help filled the air. Much to Angel’s surprise, Loki stuck out his foot to trip the man, who landed on his face. Blood trickled from his broken nose. They left before the cops showed up.

In central park they walked in a silence that was comfortable for both. But before long, Angel got restless. “Let’s run.” She suggested, taking off before he could respond. Aggravated, he followed. After a mile that left Loki hunched over, even Angel was panting. But she wasn’t done quite yet. _If I can exhaust myself enough, I can last a little longer without flying._  

She found a huge tree, with large branches that swept the earth. Reaching it, she began to climb. Higher and higher, feeling the bark scape her skin and leave white lines, her teeth shone in a smile of joy. Loki watched her carefully picking a path. Huffing, she crouched on a smallish branch. She looked down at him.

“What are you doing? Get up here!”

Sighing, he walked up and touched a branch. Wedging himself between two branches, he lifted himself up and onto a low branch. Smoothly, he wove up higher. Angel was busy searching for a way to the very top. Finding none, she withdrew her claws and dug in the bark. She climbed higher and higher. Loki was already at the branch were she was at, and was surprised not to find her there. _Where could she have gotten to?_

“Hey!” he looked straight up to see her wrapped around the top of the trunk, swaying dangerously side to side. “Look at the view.” Loki turned to see what she was referring to. Fine greenery that stretched far halted at immense skyscrapers. If you lifted the fog, it might even get a gasp from an Asgardian. Angel climbed down to where he was sitting.

“You know, you don’t really strike me as the kind of guy who breaks out into a run or climbs trees.” She remarked, resting her head against the trunk, taking in the view. Sitting there in the sun with a straight back like a prince, and his high cheek bones, Angel thought he almost looked attractive. Of course he was _handsome_ without a doubt, but he was very off putting.

“I’m not. I have to be within 50 feet of you or else I get shocked.” She paused, remembering his arm bands and the matching one around her wrist. Angel had forgotten. She didn’t really like being the one with the ability to electrocute him, but he was still a criminal. She just didn’t care for causing people pain like that.

“You seem surprisingly calm about being dragged around for an hour.”

He narrowed his eyes, still looking straight ahead. “Not calm, exhausted. Do you recall when I stopped to take a breath and you went on?” Angel nodded. “I was shocked.”

“Oh. Sorry. You should have asked to stop.” He huffed angrily. _Well he’s pissed._

“I _would have_ I wasn’t _gasping_ for _air_ the entire time!”

“Uh. Sorry. Let me make it up to you. Hot dog?” Loki scoffed. “Your Midguaridan food is far too greasy for my pallet. Besides, you’re the one with the large appetite.” Angel dawned a mischievous look. “Then I’ll just head down myself.” She began to scale down the tree. “Hey!” Loki headed down after her. As Angel prepared to jump down, Loki was already there. Loki smirked at her surprised face, extending a hand to help.

Pushing aside her instincts, she took it. But Loki didn’t let go immediately. When she tried to pull away, he grasped her wrist tightly and pulled it up higher. Absorbing that he was studying her finger tips, she realized her claws were still extended. But she didn’t withdraw her hands quite yet. He had a sense of superiority over ‘mortals’ when he was one to. She wanted to show him how lethal she was.

He now spread her fingers across his other hand delicately, like he was inspecting her nonexistent nail polish. But he kept his grip on her wrist. He muttered, “I can’t express how impossible this is. There has never been a creature that can suddenly turn a body part into something else.”

“I get that a lot. Now if you mind,” she yanked her hand away. “I’m starving.” She retracted her claws and headed to the nearest hotdog stand.

 

The next day, Angel got up late, at 2 in the afternoon. She awoke to knocking at her door. “Yeah.” She whispered though her dry throat. Another knock, louder. “I’m’ decent!” she yelled, her voice cracking. The door cracked open.

“I’ve been forced to ask you to awaken.” Loki’s voice slithered though the crack. Angel tossed hair out of her face. “Well you’ve succeeded.” Angel tossed her covers to the side, stretching her arms and back into the air. She looked up at Loki, who had an amazed look.

“Wha… _Shit_.” She had spread her wings. Quickly, she slid them into her back. _Why can’t I be one of those people who sleepwalk instead? Damn. I can’t get comfortable here. It’s too dangerous._

She picked up a pillow and held it to her chest, ashamed of her mistake. “I sure hope you have food.” He pulled a large plate piled with pizza. “Yes!” she exclaimed, taking it from him. He walked around the room, curious to see the view from her window. “Impressive view.”

“I know right? Sweet, isn’t it?” he nodded in agreement, taking in the sight of her. Her hair was untamed, sweat on her baggy pajamas. _But she seemed so damn pleased in her nest of blankets with a plate of cold food in front of her._ Loki didn’t know why he was suddenly spending time with her. She was wild, rude, and very blunt. But she was a distraction; and more interesting than the work he was loaded with. She was the only one who put up with him, and seemed to like his company.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked abruptly. “Always so proper.” She choked down the crust of her pizza. “Did you?” a little more forcefully. “Yeah…”

“Then why are there dry tears on your cheeks?” Gingerly, she touched her face. There were traces of water left behind. “I don’t know. “He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know!” She threw a pillow at him. He ducked expertly and smirked, taking a seat on her ledge.

Honestly, she had slept in because she had stayed up to finish ‘Lord of the Flies’. Normally, she would have gone straight to sleep, but she was haunted by the end message. It had kept her up, taunting her. And for there to be a tear on her face when she woke up…. That was rare, and It meant that she had a really bad dream.

“Whatever. Now get out. I’m getting dressed.” He did. Angel thought about how it was weird that she didn’t mind him after his assholeness. _I guess I’m tired of making enemies._ Kicking off her sheets, she grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom. Dragging the scale forward, she was pleased to find that she had gained 20 pounds. Any normal girl would freak, but this was good news to her. She looked in the mirror. Angel was filled out, and her stomach was even protruding a bit. _Protruding!_

Her nails were properly cut, she had gotten a haircut, and she smelled clean. _The simple pleasures of life._ But the weight gain really made her happy. It was a long time since she was at a healthy weight, and she wasn’t fortunate enough to overweight. The need for food was harder to suffer through than the want for food; it was an impossible dream to be relaxed and full. And to be perfectly honest, she was afraid of getting sick and not being able to fight it back. Granted she was super human, but still. Alexander the Great died from a common illness. _Uh. Is that right? Whatever._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't know if the thing about Alexander the Great it true. I think it is. Anyways, I highly recommend reading Lord of the Flies, but only if you like ghosts. Seriously, that book with haunt you!


	15. New Mission

Angel rode the elevator up into the common and was greeted by shouts of an argument.

“She’s not ready!” yelled Steve. “She hasn’t even been able to train yet!”

Coulson’s voice followed. “I just need some answers from her. I’ll only get her on it if she can be any help.”

“Which you know she will be! She’s not ready.” Angel walked in and crossed her arms. All the Avengers except for Bruce stood around Coulson. “What am I not ready for?” They turned to look at her. “Now she gets up.” Said Tony sarcastically.

“What’s wrong?” she repeated.

Coulson looked down at the tablet he held. “We need to see if you can tell us anything about Mullen Corp. and one of their testing facility.”

Angel shook her head. “I’ve never heard of them. Although, I don’t know any names.”

“Then maybe you could tell us about this.” He tapped a few buttons on his tablet and a hologram projected out. It showed a large building spread out, seemingly harmless. A normal office building. But Angel recognized it.

“I do. You see the dumpsters?” she pointed to the back of the building. “The garbage trucks bring in mutants and dump them there. You see how one isn’t removable? Mutants are dropped down the chute into cages. From there, they’re experimented on. Bodies are burned in the incinerator next to it.”

Angel strode along the length of the hologram. “Testing rooms are under the entire building. There’s only two exit points. The garage for executives which is really a place to house trucks to transport mutants, and this narrow stairway near the front that scientist enter through. Now what do you want to do?”

Clint and Natasha shared a look. Tony seemed uncharacteristically silent. The question, ‘how do you know this?’ was on their minds, but they already knew the answer.

“We are planning a rescue mission of all mutants held there.”

“You’re not going to be able to save them all. Some will have to be put down, and others will be too mentally unstable to release back into society.”

“You’re going to have to take the entire compound.” A smooth voice behind her startled her. “If what she says is true, then you can’t move them in time.”

Angel spun and glared at Loki, who only smirked in response. “Don’t sneak up on me!”

“Your best plan of action would be to cover all exit points.” Steve eyed Loki suspiciously. “Why the advice?” “Being a shut in tends to get boring.”

Coulson typed a few notes into his tablet. “Any more advice?” he asked. If he could successfully recruit Loki as a willing ally, then S.H.E.I.L.D would have a brilliant strategist to refer to. “Cover the dumpsters and pay special care to the garage. It would be the best plan of escape. And don’t alert them to your presence until all exits are blocked.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Obviously. Anyone can come up with that.”

“Oh? I should give you more credit then. Did I forget to mention that they know you’re coming? By now, with their unsuccessful attack, they will be preparing already. Even if it was led by another, they will know by now.”

Coulson tapped a button and the hologram disappeared. “That’s all I need for now. I’ll get back to you by tomorrow. In the meantime, I would make sure Angel is prepared.” With that, he left them in silence. Angel turned to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She picked up a carton of milk, a forth full, and gave it a considering look. Then she unscrewed the cap and chugged it down.

“Hey. That’s disgusting.” Commented Tony, grimacing. Angel put down the carton and wiped her lips. “Not if you’re going to finish the jug.” She took it up again and held it to her mouth.

“Somehow that doesn’t make me feel better.” Angel shrugged and threw it into the trash, seeking out more food. Finding a bowl of fruit, she bit into an apple.

Steve face palmed. “Angel, do you realize that this is serious?” She swallowed down a chunk. “Yep. And food is my way of coping. Now if you’ll excuse me.” She grabbed a box of little debies from the cabinet and another apple, exiting though the stairs. Tony broke the moment of silence.

“Shit. Like, really. How is she dealing with all of this?”

Loki replied, “She’s not.”

 

Angel was not dealing very well with all this. She calmly walked down the hallway, even swaying her head as if she was listening to a song. But as soon as she shut the door, she dropped the food in her arms and propped herself against the wall. Clutching her own arms, she slid down the wall. She brought her legs to her chest and tried to calm her breathing. Sensing that she couldn’t silence herself anymore, she crawled to the other side of her bed.

Between the wall and the bed, she huddled under stacks of blankets. Sobbing, she smothered her cries and whimpers under a pillow. _No. I don’t want to go back. I don’t._ Unfurling her wings, she wrapped them around her shaking body. Heavenly soft feathers graced her skin. _I don’t._

 

Loki heard low sounds coming from Angel’s room. _Is Angel ok?_ The thought of asking her was too out laddish to even consider; why would he comfort her? Why would she want his comfort? Turning to this room, he began to plot a plan for the taking of Mullen corp. building. As much as he didn’t want to help S.H.E.I.L.D., he was bored to death. It was almost more interesting in prison; it was interesting to watch the guards and his fellow inmates. He even had his books.

But here, it was different. Everyone was stuck in a normal routine. Everyday life posed no developments to him. _Maybe I could go out for a walk. See something. Explore the mortal library._ He knew that no one would go with him, so he couldn’t either. _Angel maybe._ He stopped himself. He was becoming too close to this mortal. This would be the end of him; if he fell so low as to trust a mortal. He had to remedy this. Maybe avoid her, that was easy enough. Become less involve with her origins; she was mortal. Her powers were fleeting.

As cruel as it was, even for him, Loki was glad he had not gone to her. Well, not happy per say. He appreciated that he had not made such an untactful move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Loki's actually a dick.... But with kinda good reasons..... whatever. And Angel has serious issues. Does Loki help? Or does he keep being stupid? Find out next time, when I decide what to do! Seriously, I don't know what to do.


	16. Training

“Faster.” Ordered Natasha. “Your opponent is stronger than you, but you have speed on your side. Faster” Angel had been training since 8 o’ clock this morning. Humiliating after humiliating defeat had lowered her confidence and drive. “I know you don’t feel very motivated, but this will pay off.” _Yeah right._ Angel hadn’t been able to lay more than a few punches on Hawkeye, and he was going easy on her. Right now, she was trying to get behind him. Which was hard to do when he turned with you.

“Lighter on the step.” _I’m not getting any lighter!_ Natasha had repeated that about a million times. To make her failures even more embarrassing, everyone was watching. Even Loki surprisingly. _Goddamn it._ Clint swung at her face, which his fist barely gazed. She tried to take advantage of his open position and punched his gut, but he acted like he barely felt it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a shape in her peripheral vision. Loki, studying her.

 _Screw you_ , she silently said. He was being an ass lately. Little comments, criticism, jokes at her expense, and straight out avoiding her. And that was in the past two days, ever since she had accepted the mission. Or rather, pressured into it by S.H.E.I.L.D while the Avengers protested not too discreetly. As Tony said, ‘You’re throwing a dove into a cage of vultures’. Angel punched his arm and replied, ‘You mean like throwing a hawk into a cage of crows. I got this’. Though she had to admit, both were lame comparisons.

She smirked, and she resolved to show him. Glaring straight into his smirking face, she let herself get backed into a corner. She ignored Natasha’s advice, and prepared herself for her next move. She hadn’t used this move before, but she wasn’t sure if he wouldn’t predict it. She let herself tense up and acted as if she didn’t know that the ropes that she bumped into were even there. As Clint reeled back for another hit, _dude, yeash, go easy,_ and she hopped up on the ropes.

Once she was steady, she unfurled her wings and flapped. One beat gave her enough momentum to flip over his head. Mid flip, she turned and used his shoulders to steady her. He grabbed her arms, but it was too late. Her weight knocked him to the ground, while she was up on her feet in a second. Clapping alerted her to her victory. Quickly, she folded her wings back.

Angel pumped her arms in the air. “I did it! And it only took an eternity!” Then reaching over, she helped Clint up, who gave her a proud smile. “GG.”

“Hey.” Spoke Tony. “Slang from the bird man.” Clint just got into a fighting stance. “Again?” Angel nodded. The pair rounded again, and the room fell silent again. She caught Clint glaring past her; probably at Loki. _Now that I think about it, he really doesn’t like Loki. Like, more than the other Avengers._ Angel snapped her head back into reality. She kicked upwards, and Clint caught her foot.

Thinking fast, she didn’t fight being pulled to the ground. As her luck would have it and even though she prepared for the impact, Angel couldn’t help but to yelp. A _cute_ , even _adorable_ yelp. In one swift movement, she slid under Hawkeye’s legs. Lifting her elbow high, she put all her strength to hit the back of his knee in. In his confusion, he let her let go.

Now this wasn’t a very smart plan. Luckily, he had released her leg, which would have been seriously injured if he hadn’t. Unfortunately, this meant that he would also land on her. Angel managed to roll far enough away so that her head would not be smashed, but he still landed on her with a hard thud. They both groaned loudly. Natasha and Thor ran in to help.

Natasha managed to roll/slide Clint off of Angel. Clint was a seasoned veteran in fighting, was heavier than Angel, and had been cushioned by her, so Angel was the priority. Angel moaned unbashful. “Ok, I think I’m done for the day. You alright Clint?”

“Yep.” Clint was already standing, stretching himself out. Thor lifted Angel up by the shoulders. Angel had to stop herself from squirming away. _Too much physical contact for the day._ Thor let her dangle there for a second, half a foot off the ground.

“You know, you are too good at this.” Thor laughed and set her down. “Seriously. What do you bench?” There were a few chuckles from around the room. “It’s a legit question.” It only earned her a few more laughs. Angel smiled. She loved to make people laugh. _Too bad I can’t stay here forever. After I avenge Charlotte, I’m out._ Jane jumped into the ring and grabbed Angel’s head. Lately, she and Darcy had turned into friends, along with the rest of the Avengers.

“Are you ok?” Jane examined Angel’s arm next. “No bruises?” Thor smiled. “I think only a wounded pride.” Jane smiled and leaned onto Thor’s chest. Clint turned to Angel. “Good job for a rookie. But I have a few suggestions.” Angel felt a presence move towards the elevator.

“Heaven knows you need it.” Loki’s voiced taunted. Her reaction was quick. Angel prodded Jane. “Hey.” She whispered. “Let me see your gum.” Stealing a glance at Thor, Jane complied and spit her gum into Angel’s open palm. Carefully, oh so carefully, Angel took aim. She summoned her power, and flung the wad at Loki.

The wind, so precise, knocked the gum into Loki’s hair, who didn’t seem to notice. Loki brushed past Bruce and Darcy, and obliviously stepped into the elevator. It shut before he could turn around, but he enough time to look over his shoulder at Angel and smirk.

There was a moment of silence before screams of snickering filled the air. Even Clint and Bruce. Angel fell onto the floor, shaking and tearing up with giggles. “It stuck!” she cried, snorting, which only stirred up the crackling further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra chapter, this cause' was freaking hilarious to me.


	17. Not a True Angel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Head's up in case you ignored the tags. This chapter is kind of gory so if you don't like those kinds of things, there's your fair warning. Well, more horrible mutations than actual gore, but still. (Why do I even write this in? I hate gore!)

A day later in the common room, the Avengers were seated around the couch. Even Bruce was there, but he wore an ‘I don’t know why I have to sit through this’ expression. Loki was even there, pacing back and forth. He had made it perfectly clear to everybody that he was only there because he had strategized half the plan himself. A hologram projected from were Coulson stood.

“Now,” he began. Tony slouched further into this chair. Plans were so _boring._ “Natasha, you and your team will go undercover and infiltrate through the front. Thor, Steve, and Tony will block the garage. Clint, you and a team will protect the back. All of you except for Natasha and Angel will sneak in in a garbage truck. There, you’ll wait. Natasha, once you’re under and ready, you’ll alert Angel.” Clint turned to Angel.

“I know this is your first mission, and a hard one at that, but you have a crucial role. Once you have the signal, you’ll dive bomb the roof and set off several flash bangs to distract the snipers. At most there will be three, and the flashes will take care of them. You shouldn’t have to use force. The rest of you will head to the garage, and Clint will stay behind. Angel, you’ll fall back and block the front door until we get a team to secure it, then you assist Clint. Any questions?”

He looked around at everyone. Angel slowly raised her arm. “Yes?”

“Yeah, why don’t you send a missile or something instead?”

Coulson’s head swiveled away. “They’ll be able to detect anything like that. But to them, you’ll just be a giant bird in the sky.” In the pause, Tony stifled a laugh. Everyone looked at him. He shrugged. “It’s not inaccurate.”

 

Late that night, the Avengers were getting into position. She just had to wait for Natasha’s signal. Bored of her circling in the sky, Angel took a second to take in the view below. As views went, it wasn’t a very good one. She was at the edge of a town in Iowa, hovering several hundred feet over the compound. She saw the cars Natasha drove here in and the garbage truck the others were waiting. She tugged down a sleeve to check the time. Any minute now. She was wearing a grey long sleeved shirt covered in a leather type jacket. Instead of her usual horrendously tattered jeans, she wore a softish kind of slacks.

Looking below, she was still astounded that the snipers hadn’t spotted her yet. Of course their job was to shoot things down below from up high, but still. A beep from her ear piece told her to get ready. Flying into position, she prepared to gain momentum. From her belt she took two cylinders and held them in her hand. Her thoughts flash backed to a small girl with golden hair. She gripped the cylinders more tightly. _Bring it._

 

Back in the Tower, Bruce, Pepper, Darcy, and Jane waited anxiously, watching from a camera mounted on the garbage truck. They were always nervous when the team went out on missions together; and this was a big one. Even Loki was watching, but according to him, it was ‘to see Thor’s face get black and blue’. While that was one of his reasons, he also wanted to see Angel in action. Everyone held their breath as the camera mounted on the garbage truck spun to the sky.

Only Loki had seen her fly, so everyone was amazed. Pepper watched with wide eyes, Jane was biting down on her lip. Darcy was eating popcorn, while Bruce started to take notes. Loki simply watched with a bored face. He couldn’t wait to see Thor get injured.

 

Angel’s ear piece beeped twice. Her signal. Angling her wings, she pulled them tight against her body with only the tips spread to guide her. Her clothes pulled taunt, her eyes became dry. By the time the snipers spotted her, it was too late. The mere sound of her swooshing by startled them. A few feet above the roof now, she dropped her charges. Now she flapped high, distancing herself from the blast. When she felt the air current move, she dared to look down.

Three snipers were on the ground, clutching their heads in pain. Angel glanced over at the dumpsters; the team was heading to their assigned positions. White smoke whipped in the air, blocking her view. She looked down again at the snipers. Flash Bombs weren’t lethal, but they stunned your senses. But one was getting up and reached for his gun. She dove, unsheathing her knives.

Spinning on her back, she butted him in the head. Seeing him lie lifeless and not feeling the least bit guilty, she whipped back and headed to the front doors. Landing, she pulled a stick from her back pocket, she fiddled with it. When it sprung open two feet, she jammed it in the handles, effectively jamming the door. Something yelled and slapped against the door. Angel blinked and stared into the glass.

An older woman was pounding on the glass, furious. She was joined by several other people, some in lab coats who she recognized. Angel looked one in the eye. “Remember me?” “No! Who the hell are you? Let us out, bitch!” Angel scoffed and turned. The man screamed some profanity about her, which she didn’t mind, but he had a few choice words about her mother.

Spinning on her heel, she bared her teeth and withdrew her claws. Throwing herself against the glass, she slammed her wings against the glass. With a face that said, if looks could kill, you’d be lucky that’s all it could do. Her claws pierced the glass and she brought her fingers down, the sound like nails ripping through a chalk board. “They never do.”

As suddenly as it happened, Angel stepped back. Scared faces withdrew. Behind her, a van pulled up, and a team of armed Agents piled out. Angel eyed Coulson and gestured backwards. Coulson nodded in reply. Shooting two middle fingers at the people trapped behind the doors, she took off.

Swooping over the roof, she spotted about four Agents holding down two guards. Clint was watching from about, on top the garbage truck. Angel saw a movement from behind him. “Watch out!” she yelled, but he had already seen the man. Clint punched the man in the face, but the man grabbed Clint in a strangle hold. _Huh. Seriously? Clint can pin me down with his left pinky._ Angel tilted back, letting her legs stick out in front of her. The momentum carried her far enough to land on the man’s shoulders, knocking him down.

Barton was up in a second, reaching for his bow. He yanked Angel sideways away from the man, and pulled out a stun gun. The man shook for a second before ceasing. Clint glanced at the ground. “That was the driver of the third truck.”

 _Third truck?_ The team had arrived in two garbage trucks, not three. It dawned on her. _Oh my God._ Clint was already on the ground, walking towards a truck hastily parked near the dumpster. Angel swooped to the ground. She let herself slip into a serious and sullen mood, one she was hoping to avoid, but it was inevitable. But it was better than breaking down in tears. _Charlotte would say otherwise._ She bit her lip at the thought. Now was not the time for bittersweet memories.

Barton studied her. “You going to be ok? You can back out at any time. You don’t have to do this.” Angel shook her head and gave him a pointed look. “I’d be more worried about yourself.” She was already at the hatch, pulling a pin out. Just as she was about to lift, she paused. Grief and panic consumed her in one moment, and she felt paralyzed and afraid. Angel instantly concealed her emotions, becoming numb. Heartbreakingly numb.

“Hey Clint. Help me lift this up.” Clint reached over and pulled it upwards. Clint stopped and stared at the sight. Angel simply held her hands in the air, as if in surrender. “It’s alright. We’re friends.” She cooed. “We’re here to help.” A young man was holding a toddler that had bubbling skin. The young man had bones that curved out and around his back, like strange ribs. His clothing was tattered, and he clutched the child to this chest and shrank back.

A soft cry came from the back, and she saw a teenage girl with green streaks in her blonde hair huddling in a corner. Plates of bone showed through patches in her skin. In the other corner, there was a raccoon. Or at least, it _was_ a raccoon. It’s head was entirely too big for its body which would be funny, if it’s breathing wasn’t ragged, if it had eyes, and if it’s legs weren’t boneless. She turned her attention back to the people in front of her.

“Trust me.”

“Why should we trust you?” sniffled the girl after a minute. Angel paused, then unfolded her wings. Their eyes went wide, except for the unmoving child. “Are you an angel?” the girl croaked.

“No. If I was an angel, I would have been here sooner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be some more Loki scenes coming up, with some relationship building. And omg you guys! Star Wars the Clone Wars season 6 is on Netflix! So if I don't update soon, you know what I'm doing! ;)


	18. A Talk

In her room, Angel starred introspectively out her window into the distance. A moment of peace, which was disturbed by Jarvis. “Miss Riker…” he began.

“It’s Angel.”

“Miss Angel, there seems to be an altercation in the common room amongst Thor and Loki.” She was up and out the door in seconds. Finding that the elevator in use, she took the stairs, running up the steps two at a time. “I’ve alerted Dr. Banner, and Agent Barton.” Natasha and Steve were on a mission. When she arrived, she saw Loki screaming at Thor, while Jane pathetically tried to pull him back. _Shit._ The elevator door opened just as she crossed the floor over to Loki.

“Stop!” Stark was in the thick of it, bracing himself between the two. Angel wrapped her right arm diagonally around Loki’s chest, and her other arm around his waist. Mentally slapping herself after thinking, _whoa, abs!,_ she pulled him back. Clint was pushing into the middle of it next to Tony, and started to push Thor back. Thor’s furious expression almost stopped Angel in her tracks.

“Get him out of here!” ordered Stark. Angel then understood why they were holding back their teammate and not their enemy. Thor was a demigod, and could easily overpower Loki. Withering in her grasp, Loki fought Angel the whole way to the stairwell. She was not going to take her chances in an enclosed space with him.

He elbowed her in the gut, and hissed in her ear. “Let me go, or you will regret the last few minutes of your life.” She took her arm from his waist and held it across his chest. He tossed her into a wall, but she took the opportunity to then throw him against it to. Twice. Stunned, he only fought a little going down the stairs. Once in the hallway though, he managed to rip from her hold, and stormed down the hallway.

Slamming the door, he welcomed the solitude of his room.

“What was that all about?” His eyes widened, and he turned to see Angel standing there with an unreadable but calculated expression. “What’s with you lately? I know we weren’t friends, but I thought we were getting there. Your attitude has taken a complete turn. We spent an afternoon together, I made you breakfast, and you even woke me up one day. And now you don’t ever leave your room, except to see me get beat up in training or to help S.H.E.I.L.D. scheme. And what was that? I thought you two tolerated each other well enough.”

His eyes darkened. “Get out.”

“No.”

“Get _out.”_

“No _.”_

“ _Get out!”_

_“No.”_

_“Get away from me!”_

Angel took two steps forward and crossed her arms. “ _No.”_ Loki towered over her, absolutely seething. “You’re going to wish you did.” Angel looked up and stared him right square in the eye. “You’re going to wish I stayed.” Then she flew open her arm and wings, wrapping them around him in a hug.

Loki stiffened, but didn’t pull away. This was different from her grabbing him. This was…. _Gentle. Caring._ Her wings were soft and delicate against his skin, and he involuntarily relaxed.

“Tell me. Everything.”

“I thought we weren’t friends.” He said plainly.

“I’m tired of you acting like this. Can’t you just be the nice Loki I know? That guy is fun to be around.”

Loki felt himself hang heavy. “He doesn’t exist.”

“You really are the god of lies. You can even fool yourself.” Angel pulled away sadly. Loki had to restrain himself from reaching out back to her. He collapsed into a sitting position on his bed. “Ok.” he mouthed. Angel sat next to him, leaning towards him, but giving him space. Her thoughts flashed back to when she first met Charlotte, but she quickly banished them. She was thinking of her way more than normal.

“Do you know what it is like, to be a part of a family, but to never really be _a part_ of that family?” Angel nodded. “I am not of Asgard. On Jotunheim, I was abandoned as an unwanted runt. A dangerous trait on a planet of ice. I was their King’s son, so Odin took me in. To hopefully use as a bargaining chip later on. And to Asgard, jotuns are terrible monsters.” Loki finally gazed back to Angel’s eyes.

“Odin lied to me my entire life. He told both of us that we were to kings, but he never mentioned that I was to rule a barren wasteland.” Loki looked back down. “That’s why I was always my brother’s shadow, the lesser one. I didn’t even discover my origins until….” Loki smothered his face into his palm. A light tap that grew heavy on his shoulder mildly startled him. Peaking from his fingertips, he saw a mess of feathers cover him.

Angel was weeping into her hands. She had wrapped both of them in her wings. Golden light that crept through the closed blinds reflected off her snowy feathers.

“I” Hair cascaded down her left cheek. “Am so sorry.” She drew herself tighter into a ball.

“Loki. I am so sorry.”

 

“Sir.” Said Natasha. They were at a S.H.E.I.L.D base in an undisclosed location. “You’ve got to get Angel out.”

“This is too much for someone’s first missions.” Steve chimed in. “She is definitely traumatized. This is too damaging for her.” Nick Fury watched them from across his desk.

“I know. I wish I could, but the council won’t let me.”

“You’ve seen the other mutants here.” Said Natasha. “You’ve seen how they’ve turn out, and she’s been through more places like that. _This is too much._ ”

“I know.”


	19. Hanging Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some context, this takes place two weeks after the previous chapter, and Loki and Angel hang out a lot after that. This chapter is mainly to show their relationship right now. Issues that both of the characters have will be discussed in the next chapter or two. Until then, here's some fluff.

“Loki… I’m bored…”

“Mmm.” He acknowledged. Two days later, they were in his room. He was at his desk, reading a book, while Angel had claimed his bed and was listening to music. She sat up from where she was lightly dozing. Her jacket slipped down to her elbows, but she didn’t bother to pull it up.

“Let’s do something.”

He turned a page in his book. “Such as?”

“Something.” He smirked. “Something?” he repeated.

“Yeah. Hey, do we have marshmallows?” Loki finally looked up and arched an eyebrow.

“Marshmallows?”

Angel dug herself from the mess she had made in the covers. “You heard me. I’ll be right back.” Loki smiled and sighed at the sight of his once made bed. In less than five minutes, she was back. Flopping down, she held two bowls and a bag that seemed to be filled with….cotton balls? She patted the spot next to her. Taking her cue, he sat next to her.

“No, lay down like me.”

“But…” he said earnestly. “That would require getting up.” Rolling her eyes, she got up and pushed him back by his shoulders then flopped down beside him. Dramatically, he made a show of rolling over. Angel shoved one of the cotton balls in his face. “Eat.” She ordered.

He sniffed it. “I don’t believe that this is edible.”

“Eat!” she repeated. Sighing, he took it and popped in his mouth. After popping it in his mouth and chewing he said, “Not exactly a delicacy, is it?”

“Yeah. Anyways….”

“Anyway.” She arched an eyebrow. “Anyway. You don’t say ‘anyways’. Anyways would suggest many paths when you want to continue one way.”

“ _Anyway,_ we are going to play a game. Called ‘Chubby Bunny’.” She gave him a bowl.

“Chubby Bunny? How, pray tell, does this game of yours implement these so called marshmallows?”

“Like so. You pop one in your mouth,” she did so.” And say ‘Chubby Bunny’. You repeat this until you can’t say it anymore or you can’t fit another marshmallow into your mouth. Oh, and you can’t chew or shallow one.”

Loki frowned. “I don’t see the point of this.”

“There is no point. Now spit it up in the bowl when you’re done. Ready? Go.” They both took one and placed it in his mouth, Loki doing so reluctantly.

“Chubby Bunny” they said. _Never in my life had I expected to say that._

They repeated this process until they got to 4 in total. Loki gagged and spat the gunk into his bowl. “That is revolting. I hope that this surely isn’t a staple in your culture.” Angel giggled but managed to cram six more in.”

“Ummy wunny.” She mumbled.

“What was that?” Loki leaned in. Angel lost it and spat in her bowl, laughing. “I won!” she cried.

Loki smirked. “Is your life goal fulfilled?”

Angel smiled. “Not yet. What do you want to do now?”

“I don’t know.”

“Come on! We always do what I want to do! What do you want to do?” Loki looked up in contemplation.

“How about we go to the library?” Angel beamed.

Ten minutes later, they were at the elevator in the common room, a stack of books by their feet. Angel opened up a compartment that was in the wall, which held several of the bracelets used to track Loki. Angel took out a thin band and reluctantly held it. Loki took a step back. “Actually, I’d rather not get electrocuted today.”

“Hold on.” Loki stopped to hear her bargaining. He had not expected her to snap on a larger bracelet then snap a smaller one on her wrist and another on his. “Now we’ll both get shocked.” Loki looked at her seriously.

“Take those bands off of you. You’re not the criminal, this is my punishment.”

Angel gave him one of those looks he never could argue with. “I can take these off anytime I want and you can’t. It’s fine. It’s just so I know when were too far apart.”

 

In the library, Angel was scanning through the fiction section, searching for a good book. “Hmm.” She muttered, scrolling through the selection. She took a side step to right. A buzz a lightning burned and shocked her. It was excruciating. “Shit!” she yelled, which was accompanied by an identical shout a few aisle back. She threw herself a few steps left, a chorus of ‘shhhhs’ making her bite her lip.

She searched around, finding Loki grabbing his arms in pain. “We stick together from now on.” She whispered.

 

A day later, Angel was reading in the common room, next to Darcy, who was watching reality TV. Tony was searching through the refrigerator when Jane came in. “How’s Thor?” piped Darcy.

“I think he’s going to be ok. Just a bad cold, but he’s making a big deal of it.” She sighed. Tony slammed the door with a sandwich in his hand and made his way to the elevator. Jane stopped and stared at him. “Tony!”

He tilted his head. “What?”

“You’re so pale!” Jane held a hand to his head. “Get to bed right now! Darcy, go get a wet washcloth.”

“I am not…” Jane shot him a look. “I’ll call Pepper right now. She’s in that important meeting you know.” A look of terror struck Tony’s face. “Go!” she ordered. “Yes ma’am.” Tony left to go to his room, Darcy following behind. Jane groaned and pulled back her hair. “I hope you aren’t sick either.” Angel shook her head.

 

At the dinner table, Pepper held her head in her hands. “No one else better be sick. I can’t take this anymore. Jane patted her shoulder. Angel gobbled down the rest of her sandwich. “I know what you’re talking about. Thor threw up the medicine Bruce gave him.” Loki came in and without looking at anyone, walked up to the fridge.

Angel looked up. “Loki. I hadn’t seen you all day.” Loki ignored her, and Angel rolled her eyes. _He’s probably just in one of his_ _moods_. Suddenly, he grabbed the handle and swayed. Angel was up in a second. He pushed her off though and muttered, “I’m fine.”

In the middle of the room, Loki stopped and clutched his head, reeling again. Suddenly he dropped. Unfortunately Angel just missed him as he fell. She clenched her teeth as his head hit the floor with a thunk. Jane and Pepper gasped, running up to them. Angel sighed and knelt down next to him.

Feeling his forehead, she dramatically groaned. “Guess who has a fever. Help me drag his cold ass to his room.” As the woman reluctantly picked him up (Jane and Pepper still weren’t comfortable around Loki) and took him to the elevator. Setting him down once inside, Angel held up Loki’s head in her lap. Brushing his hair way, she whispered into his ear: “You’re an idiot.”


	20. Sick

Loki moaned and turned over. His head was pounding, his body felt cold. Shivering, he pulled his blankets closer. _Blankets?_ The last thing he remembered was standing in the middle of the common room. He had woken up with a terrible cold, which he decided to hide from the Avengers. It was better not to show weakness. But that didn’t seem to have worked out very well.

Biting back a moan, he took in his ailment. His throat was dry and horse, his head stuffy and runny. Even worse, he was absolutely sick to his stomach and dizzy. On top of all that, he was starving. Vision blurring, he tried to move to see his surroundings. There, leaned uncomfortably stiff in the wooden desk chair, Angel sat with her head back at an odd angle.

He paused to admire the sun on her face, her peaceful expression that crossed it. He noticed the bowl of water on his desk next to a few cloths. He then noticed a damp rag on his forehead, which he found comforting. Loki almost smiled when he noticed that even his feet were wrapped in blankets. Just like what mother did. Quickly repressing the memory, he closed his eyes and took a breath, before coughing. This woke Angel, who sprung up and had her hand to his forehead almost immediately.

“Are you ok? Where does it hurt? Is your stomach tender?” When he didn’t respond, she took the cloth from his forehead and got up. She grabbed a clean cloth and dipped it in the bowl, wringing it out. Grabbing a glass of water, she moved back.

“Sit up.” She ordered, helping him. He managed, and she held the glass to his lips. Drinking his fill, she settled him back down, placing the new cloth in the old one’s place.

“I’m fine.” He croaked, trying to stop Angel when she helped pull covers over him.

“No you’re not. You fainted, fainted!, and we had to drag you back here. I swear to God, you have to see a doctor. Who passes out like that? I’m serious! Now what hurts?”

Loki smirked. “If I had my magic, it wouldn’t have gotten that bad. I am just weak without my magic. And I can assure you that it’s merely a fever with a sore throat, chills, and sickness of the stomach.”

“Dude! Still! Fevers are more important than colds. People are hospitalized for fevers, which Bruce almost forced us to do. We aren’t sure if you should be taking normal medicine either. Thor took some and just retched, man. It was not pretty.”

“I could infer….”

Angel shook her head. “Anyway, take note of the bucket at the side of your bed. Now, what do you need?”

“Food would be nice.” Suddenly, Loki felt tired. “On second thought, I would like to rest.” Turning on his side, Loki felt himself easily drop into sleep. In Angel’s chair, she stretched back. Sickness always got her worked up. In the cages, sickness always brought dread. Illness never caused death; it was the experiments and dissections, from scientist eager to see the effects on the mutant body. If you were lucky, you died before you suffered through being ripped apart.

Checking to see that water was within his grasp, Angel left to run errands.

 

Stirring, Loki cracked open an eye. He coughed and squinted. The light was far too bright. Angel was adjusting things on his bedside table. The glass of water had been refilled. Noticing that he was up, Angel handed him a glass of water. “Are you feeling ok?”

Taking a sip, he said “Not any worse. But I don’t know why you go to all the trouble.”

“Only because you’re an idiot who doesn’t know how to take care of himself.”

“That is only due to the fact that I am now mortal.” Angel scoffed. “Whatever. Bruce will be down soon to check on you again. I only wish for his sake that Tony and Thor get better soon. With the way their going on, you’d think they were on their death bed.

_One can hope._

“Anyway, I got some goodies for you.” She grabbed a bag from the table, ripping it open. “First off, cough drops. They sooth your throat. I hope you like cherry flavor. Of course, they still taste awful, but not that bad.” He took an unwrapped candy type thing from her, turning it over in her hand. “Bruce said that it would easy on your system, but don’t use so much. They aren’t candy.” He placed it in his mouth.

It was tart, like medicine, but his throat felt better already. “Speaking of candy, I got you some!” She held up two bags. “Now, I didn’t know what you liked, so I got you reeces cups and twislers.” She placed them back next to the new box of tissues that were there. “And to top it all, I got you a fish.”

“Ah. A…fish?” She pulled out a small bowl from behind the tissues. Inside was a green fish. “It’s a beta fish. You feed her twice a day, and I got you food and feeding tablets.” Loki took the bowl and studied the little fish. It was a beautiful little thing; shiny emerald with lovely fins that waved back like hair, long and glossy.

“She’s gorgeous. How did you know I liked green?”

“Lucky guess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sigh. Loki seems really out of character. I'll work on that.


	21. Backstory

Later in his room, Loki was bored. He hadn’t been able to concentrate on his books, and Angel had been asleep in his desk chair for the past hour. He wasn’t even able to take a nap. Questions filled his mind about her, as he watched his fish. Taking a pillow out from him with a grunt, he threw it at Angel.

“Hey!” she muttered, sliding out of the chair. Shaking herself awake, she picked herself out. “Oh. Yeah, what do you need?” She dragged her chair over and sat. She felt his forehead. Loki grabbed her wrist and held it. Angel froze.

“Tell me about why you have wings.”

Angel relaxed and sighed. “You ask me that every day, you know. Why do you think I’ll tell you now?”

Loki gave her his best winning smile. “My irresistible charm and wit, accompanied by my apparent weakness which will lower your guard.”

She gave him a look. “I wouldn’t put it past you to get sick on purpose.”

“Believe me, with the nausea, it wouldn’t be worth it.” He groaned. Angel smiled. “Ok.” She said in a small voice.

“Now, I’ve only told one other person ever so you can’t tell anyone. Ever.” Loki nodded. _There was a time where I would ignore a_ _problem like that, and I still do, but not now_. As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn’t do that to Angel. She had saved him when they were strangers, and welcomed him after learning about who he was.

“Long ago, when people still believed in gods and monotheism wasn’t big, there was a shield maiden. As you probably know, shield maidens were women of Germanic nations who actually fought alongside men when sexism was as big as the Beetles and Michael Jackson in their golden years.”

_What?_

_“_ Pop culture aside, there was one woman whose family was pillaged and destroyed by another nation. She, of course, was so upset she screamed to the sky, ‘whatever powers that be, whether that of demons or spirits, grant me the powers of the Valkyries so that I may avenge my beloved.’ This must have struck a chord, since Frigga appeared. She had been walking around to check up on her people.”

_….Mother?_

_“_ Frigga, being amazing, told the woman that she has seen her deeds and would not only grant her wish, but give her the power of the winged Valkyries which were the most revered kind. On one condition of course. That her powers would then be taken away. The woman accepted, got her revenge, and done deal right? End of story right? Nope.

“Frigga had not accounted on the fact that the woman could then fly. She was the first person to ever fly, and no sir, she was not going to let that go. She was going to spend the rest of her life in the skies. Let me tell you, once you feel the rush of wind through your feathers, you’d wouldn’t give it back either. So the woman pleaded with Frigga to let her keep her powers. Frigga decided to seek out Odin’s ruling. He had to make the decision; no one could let power like that run wild.

“After much debate, Odin decided to allow it. He would take away any nonphysical aspects of the Valkyries, leaving behind the wings, claws, and wind manipulation which were apparently a package deal. And so she returned to Earth, went forth and procreated, and here were are.”

When she stopped, Loki felt a sudden wave of depression wash over him. Thoughts of his mother and his loss of magic flooded him. He held it in like a tourniquet that cut the circulation of the blood. Luckily, Jarvis interrupted the scene.

“Miss Riker….”

“Angel.”

“You are needed in the common room. It appears that Mr. Stark is in need of assistance.”

“Oh God, he’s not vomiting all over the place again, is he?”

“Well sadly, that seems to be the case.” Angel groaned and got up.

“Pray for me Loke.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of that is like 98% BS. Btw, it is so hard to update. All the text keeps getting italicized!


	22. Talks

After she left, Loki dragged himself over to the bathroom. He quietly shut the door, had a good cry, pulled it together, and crawled back to bed. Exhausted from his feat, he drifted into sleep. He awoke when he heard the door creak open. Thinking it was Angel, he tossed over towards the sound but stiffened. It was Bruce Banner. He had been fine when he checked on him before since Angel was there but now she wasn’t. Bruce simply sat in the chair and opened his bag.

“Dr. Banner.”

He gave a small smile, still looking through his bag. “Hey.”

After a moment and some consideration Loki said: “I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok. The Other Guy threw you around like a rag doll. I’d call it even.”

“Indeed.” Loki was relieved. Even under the control of Thanos, he remembered that experience very clearly. He remembered how Thanos… he stopped that thought before it went any further. It more painful than the death of his mother and loss of his magic, and it was easier to deal with it by suppressing that memory.

Bruce put a hand to his forehead, something he found getting very tedious. “Everyone’s in a meeting. Except for Thor, Tony, and you of course.” Loki let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding when Bruce moved away. “Oh, please do not try to get up. You’ve heard about, er, the retching, to put it in nice terms.”

He cringed. “Yes. In much more detail than necessary.” Quickly changing the subject as Bruce took out a flat stick, “What is the new mission? Surely, it will be more difficult with two team members disabled.”

 _“_ Open.” Loki obeyed as Bruce stuck the stick onto his tongue. “Another rescue mission of mutants. This one’s smaller though so it won’t be that complicated. I just hope this one isn’t as bad as the last. And that they don’t send Angel. This is too much for the veterans, so I can’t imagine what it’s doing to her.”

Loki coughed as the stick withdrew. “What do you mean as bad as the last?” Bruce looked at him, sympathetic. “You know how the cameras cut off as soon as Clint and Angel opened the hatch? Did you notice the team when they came back?” Loki did. “S.H.E.I.L.D wasn’t trying to be confidential. They didn’t want to expose any of us to what was inside. But Clint told me.”

“What was inside?”

“Hell.”

Loki sunk back into his pillow. “What are the chances that I would be considered for a mission?” Bruce shook his head. “A last ditch effort when they have nothing else to lose. They’d use the other guy before they’d use you.”

“Hmm.”

 

Even though Loki had regained his strength and was now walking through Central Park with Angel, he was far from happy. Thor had tagged along.

The other Avenger’s excluding Tony (who was still sick) and Bruce had been away for three days. Unluckily, Thor hadn’t recovered by then to join them but just in time for when Angel and Loki took their walk. _Just fantastic. Leave it to Thor to ruin_ _what I enjoy_. Even right now, he was trailing behind them as Angel told Thor about the most interesting spots they found, which Thor seemed invested in.

As they studied a lake, Angel suddenly turned to Loki. “Look.” She pointed. “A green fish. Have you named yours yet?” He smiled and shook his head. “Not yet.” Thor laughed and elbowed him slightly. “I never took you for a pet lover.” Loki smiled tersely.

Later, they found themselves walking along a street. Across the street, a crane lifted steel beams into the air. Loki would have ignored this if he hadn’t noticed a certain sound. It was a low snap at first and only he and a few of the construction crew turned their heads. He stopped in his tracks as some of the men yelled and the snapping got louder.

“Thor.” Angel and Thor didn’t seem to hear him. Below, he saw a scared couple stop in their tracks, looking up in horror. The man tried to push the woman away who was grabbing onto him and trying to get him to follow.

“Thor!” They looked at him, then to where he was staring at. Thor was already running across the street to the annoyance of the taxis. Then the cable snapped; the sound was like the crack of a gun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't the best chapter, and I know it. Getting over some writers block. Hope you enjoy none the less. Kinda forgot about Thanos soooo.... oops? On an unrelated note, what do you think Loki would name a fish? I'm stumped. Give me suggestions and I'll give you credit if I use it! The fish is a girl fyi.


	23. Power

Angel ran her eyes over scene. She couldn’t tell what Thor was trying to do until she saw the couple and heard the snap. On instinct, she focused on the air around her, reaching out. Using this power was indescribable, and difficult to use. She focused on the still air between her and the beam, taking care to note at what point it would be in the right position. Then with what was either her soul or mind, she pushed the air with a violent inner roar as screams filled the air. She wasn’t sure if her voice joined in. Pure power that flowed through her body suddenly drained away leaving her lightheaded and faint.

She was certain she heard a deafening boom, accompanied by more shrieks. Angel let herself lean back on a brick building, pulling together all her strength. Familiar feelings of sickening heat washed over her body, leaving her dazed. Her thoughts fluttered back to that one instance of power, causing a chill to run down her spine. _Was that me? Was that me? That power. It_ _couldn’t have been, but it had to be me. But I couldn’t have. Where’s Loki? Where’s Thor? Are they ok?_

Angel found herself in a bitter panic as she tried to blink away the white haze that consumed her. In the back of her head, she faintly noticed a trickle of something warm that dripped from her nose. _Did I hurt someone? Please God. Help me._

 

A boom filled the air, and Loki caught a glimpse of the beam being launched through the fence. He pulled back his arms to protect his face. Something rang through the air and the pure power of it took his breath away. It was the most intense wind he had ever felt. In the after stillness, he put down his hands as New York seemed quiet for the moment. Loki took one step back. The beam was at least 20 feet away from the couple who were cowering under the cover of Thor’s arms.

It would have landed directly where they were standing, even crushing Thor. Sure, it was likely he would have survived (maybe), but the people wouldn’t have. Whipping around, he looked for Angel. His face fell when he saw her leaning into the brick building. She was pale, and sweat dripped from her brow as she fought to stay up. Blood streamed from her nose.

He grabbed her, easily keeping her up. Strangely, was very light. Wrapping his arms around her, she guided her down. They faced the same direction, so he let her lay back on his chest. Her head lolled back onto his shoulder.

“Angel! Angel!” she shook her slightly.

She cracked an eye open slightly. “Loke.” As if fluttered back shut, he shook her more. “Stay awake! You need to stay awake!” Weakly, Angel held his fingers.

“I’m not sure I have much of a choice.” Loki could tell that she was scared. She flinched at people who walked up to her. With her muddled thoughts, she wasn’t sure what they were doing.

_“_ Are you ok?”

“What happened?”

“Call an ambulance!”

“Give her room.”

She felt a weight being pulled over her and a voice. “You’re going to be alright.”

“Was anyone hurt?” she drawled the words out slowly.

“No. You should be proud.”

Outside the emergency room, Loki paced back and forth. He groaned in frustration as another minute ticked past. It was two hours later, and he wanted answers. Steve and Natasha walked into the small waiting room. For a minute, no one said anything.

Steve coughed. “Any news?” Loki stopped his pacing and folded his hands behind his back, shaking his head.

“What happened?” asked Natasha. Loki turned away.

“Listen.” Said Steve. “We all want the best for her, and we can’t do that until we get information.” After another moment, Loki sighed and told them. Natasha looked down and crossed her arms, going over the story. “She probably just over extended herself. We knew about her power, but never to this extreme.” Loki took a seat, bending over to rest his head to rest in his lap. Nervous hands ran through his hair. Steve sat next to him, staring at the floor.

“I know it’s hard, but we just have to have faith that she’ll be alright.”

Natasha studied Loki now. Bent over, quiet. He was obviously frustrated and upset. Natasha never thought she’d ever see him this way, worried over anyone. The other day, she and Clint had a talk about the time that the two had spent together. Loki seemed happier; Angel more relaxed. Clint had given it a month before he attempted to escape and a week until Angel just left. Natasha was a little surprised that both guesses were wrong since Clint was always right about those kinds of things.

Steve even when so far as to pat Loki on the shoulder, holding his hand there for a second.

A half hour passed until the S.H.E.I.L.D doctor finally came in. S.H.E.I.L.D managed to arrive in time to drive the normal doctors away before they discovered that she wasn’t a regular patient. “She’s going to be ok. You can go in now.” Loki sprung up and made a beeline for the door.

Natasha turned back to the doctor as Steve followed him. “What happened?”

“We aren’t sure. Anatomically, we don’t where the power originates from or even how it works. This is as mysterious as psychics and telepaths. But it seems that an overuse of it causes strain on the body and brain. If it went any further there would be brain damage, but there seems to be a self-preservation function. Other than major fatigue, confusion, weakness, and a nosebleed which we suspect was because of pressure on the brain, she’ll be ok. She will make a full recovery.

Natasha nodded her head in understanding. _Interesting._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I disappear for a week or more, don't worry. I'll be on spring break and I won't have time to write or access to a computer to update. Anyway, I tried to make this a long update (and failed) but hopefully this will satisfy you until then. Anyway, what do you think? And points to whoever helps me come up with an not sucky chapter title.


	24. Look Before You Send

Angel floated in a strange void. Strong arms wrapped around her and she was lifted into the air. Am I flying? She thought dreamily. Her hair was pulled to the side over her shoulder, out of the way. Then she was lying flat on a board and rolled into a bright flashing vehicle. A hand held her shoulder, which she tried to shrug off. It squeezed too tightly. But she couldn’t even budge or move her lips to protest. Something was pulled over her mouth and she felt herself drift.

Eventually, Angel stirred and squirmed. Her body was too weak to move so she settled on rolling her head around. Her heart stopped as she saw doctors walking around and something wrapped around her left arm. Her vision blurred as her sight sharped and settled on an S.H.E.I.L.D logo on a doctor’s coat. She gasped in relief.

A doctor spotted the movement and began to ask questions about how she felt. She was about to say something sarcastic, but found that no clever words came to her and that it was difficult to speak. After a minute of trying to mouth something, and becoming uncomfortable under the doctor’s unyielding stare, she managed; “About as good as I look.” In layman’s term, she looked like crap.

This seemed to satisfy them, and they eventually left. Loki rushed in, followed by Steve.

 

Loki pushed past the doctors. He instantly towered over Angel, taking in her condition. Steve watched as he delicately took her hand and sat on the bed gently. Come to think of it, Steve couldn’t remember Loki ever take such great care with anything. He blinked twice when she saw her lovely smile.

“How do you feel?”

Angel made a face. “Tired.” She whispered. “I over extended myself.” She squeezed his hand lightly. She hadn’t noticed how handsome he looked when his expression softened. She tilted her head at the discovery. “What happened?”

Inside, Loki grimaced. Her voice was so faint. Steve coughed, and he spun his head around to look at him. “You saved Thor and a couple from a falling beam. The beam only broke the fence, nothing else. As far as the press know, an random young woman with a heart condition fainted from shock.”

Angel sighed and shut her eyes. Loki rubbed his thumb across hers. “Has this ever happened before?”

“No.” she grunted. Her head was light from talking. “I’ve never done anything like that before.” Loki let go of her hand to reach for a glass of water, expertly holding it to her lips. Steve shifted uncomfortably. He felt as if he shouldn’t be here while they having a moment.

“What was it like?” Loki asked encouragingly.

Luckily, Steve’s phone buzzed and he pulled it out, thankful.

“Like a hurricane.” Angel rasped.

 

Steve’s phone; which he still barely understands how to use.

Tony: I’ve seen the news. How’s Angel?

Steve: Ex-husband.

Steve: *Exhausted

Tony: Where’s Loki?

Steve: Were all the room with her.

Steve: *We’re

Tony: What’s he doing? Did Oz finally give him a heart?

Steve: !

Steve: *?

Tony: Why is he there? Why does he care?

Steve: You realize they take walks every day? She nursed him back to hell.

Steve: *Health.

Tony: What? How did I not know about this?

Steve: You been vomiting for the past few days.

Steve: *You’ve

Tony: Wait, so they’re an item? Dating?

Steve: I don now

Steve: *Don’t know

Tony: Dude, are they having a moment?

Steve: Im not ure

Steve: *I’m not shure

Steve:*sure

Tony: Dude, you’re totally cock blocking him.

Steve: Wha!

Steve: *What?

Tony: Cock Block: To be in the way, and/or to stop another man from having sex.

Steve: If they ever heard what you said that there will be health to pay.

Steve: *Hell

Tony: Dude. You have got to look before you send. At least turn off auto correct.

Steve: What’s anal correct?

Steve: *Anal?

Steve:*Auto!

Tony: Lol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm baaaccckkk. Jokes on you if you thought this wasn't going to mainly be Steve and Tony texting. Speaking of lame jokes, if I could, I would have totally upload a chapter on a cliffhanger, and say that it was the end of the work and even change the chapter number thing. But, alas. April first has passed. Also, I got up at four and took all day and an hour delay to fly back home, unpack, and spend the rest of the day forcing myself to write this itty-bitty chapter. NEVER DENY MY PASSION FOR WRITING. I hope I at least made you pity chuckle....


	25. New Developments

Later that day, Angel was alone in the hospital room, dozing. Loki had gone off somewhere, probably to finding something to do or something to eat. The door creaked open, and she cracked her eyes open. Instead of Loki, it was a doctor. The man crossed the room over to her. Angel yawned and stretched her arms up into the air. She left them there as she glanced up to take a good look at him.

She froze. She recognized him. The man grabbed her arms before she could move and pinned them down over her head with a single hand. With his other, he took a knife and held it to her throat. Angel’s eyes went big as his square head tilted and smiled wickedly.

Now, Angel did not like to think of herself as a damsel in distress and absolutely hated being so damn helpless but her life was on the line. This man would take her dead just as soon as he would alive. She had personally seen it. Her lips parted and screamed.

 

“Damn it!” Loki tried to feed the dollar bill into the machine for the eighth time. He had flattened the bill over and over, but it still wouldn’t take it. Squinting, he bent over to look at the diagram again.

“Shit.” He kicked the machine again. It was the wrong direction this time. All he wanted was a bag of chips. Was that too much to ask? Before he could attempt again, a blood curdling scream startled him. Dropping the dollar, he whipped his head around. It stopped before starting again, more desperate this time. He couldn’t quite place the voice until it shrieked in the same off key way Angel liked to sing high notes.

His legs moved before he even gave it a second thought. Tearing down the hallway, he bumped into a group of S.H.E.I.L.D doctors. He stumbled through them, accidently throwing himself against a wall. He hit his head hard, but ignored it and ran faster. The screaming started again, and something crashed. He was at the door, certain that the sound was coming from the room.

When the door wouldn’t open, he rammed a knife he had lifted from the training room in the door handle. It broke after a couple of stabs and he practically ripped it open. He found a thrashing Angel with a man leaning over the bedside table, glass strewn across the floor. He pressed a knife deeper into her already bleeding throat. Loki was over him in two strides, grabbing him by neck.

Easily, Loki lifted him and tossed him against a wall. The man kicked Loki in the stomach, but Loki only punched him in the face. His face made a dent in the wall, but the man was up in a second. The man was quick; and had a large hand with a strong grip. He grabbed Loki’s throat and Loki punched him again, releasing his hold. Loki gasped and threw himself on top of the man.

The man slipped and fell down hard; Loki landing on him. Roger and Thor burst in, not hesitating to hold down the man. Loki stumbled up, turning to look at Angel. Fear still crossed her face, but was soon replaced in rage. She stood up, swaying and crunching her feet on the glass. Loki grabbed her shoulder’s and pushed her down, but even in her weak state, pushed past him.

Loki wrapped his long arms around her waist, pulling her back. “Let me go! I have to get him!” Clint suddenly was there too, but the man was already incapacitated, but still struggling under the weight on top of him. Angel extended her claws, pricking Loki’s arms, releasing her. Clint wrapped his arms under her armpits, pulling back and locking his hands around the back of her neck.

“Let go!” She tried to butt him in the head, but he easily dodged. Clint pulled her out into the hallway. Her eyes went deadly as she was unceremoniously dragged. “You killed her!” she yelled, glaring at the man on the floor. “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! You killed her! She was just a little girl! You killed her!” Angel’s shrieking turned to screams of pain as glass dug into her bare feet.

“Clint, stop!” ordered Loki. Hesitantly, he did. Effortlessly, Loki swept her up into his arms. Angel protested, trying to push him away. But the adrenaline wore off, and her struggles became weaker. “Where do we take her?” Loki looked at Clint. Clint walked down the hallway. “Follow me.”

They walked up a flight of stairs until they reached the roof. Carefully, Loki set Angel down. Angel tried to scramble up, but he pressed her shoulder’s down. She tried to wiggle out, so he pushed her stomach down. Her struggles finally stopped.

“I’ll be back.” Clint left. Angel refused to look Loki in the eye until he came back with a first aid kit. She did nothing as Clint picked glass from her feet and wrapped them. Loki cleaned the blood from the cut on her neck, which didn’t seem to be cut very deep, but it bled a lot. He had to use several strips of cloth to stop the bleeding. He wrapped a cloth around her neck, careful to make it comfortable.

When they finished, she turned over to her side and hid her face in the crooks of her arms. She curled herself up into a fetal position. Clint gazed over at Loki warningly. “Stay here.” He left them alone.

After a minute, Loki broke the silence. “Angel.” No reply. “Angel!” Sighing, he reached over to the kit. Angel peeked back, which Loki didn’t acknowledge. Seeing him grab gauze, she pulled herself into a sitting position with her legs crossed facing his kneeling form. Not looking him in the eye, she grabbed a cloth and began to clean his arms. She said nothing, but winced when he did. After wrapping his arms, she dared to look at him.

To her surprise, he only had a worried expression. Guilty, Angel hung her head and let her hair hide her face. “What happened?” His hand on her shoulder held her up.

“I can’t tell you.”

“Why?”

“I just can’t. I don’t know you well enough, and you won’t understand.”

“I heard what you said.” She gulped. “I know what it’s like. To be filled with rage because….” He stopped as she pulled away. Angel turned and brought her knees to her chest, burying her head between her knees.

“My mother was killed.” He said suddenly. “It was my fault.” Angel lifted her head up. “While I was in prison on Asgard, the dark elves infiltrated through there. I directed their leader to the royal chambers so that they would get to their goal. I was spiteful of my imprisonment because it wasn’t my fault, so I wanted to get back at them. But I never thought they would kill her.”

Angel paused. “Frigga?”

“Yes.”

“What do you mean about how your crimes were not your fault?” she said softly. “That always confused me.”

Loki looked down. “I was controlled with a scepter by Thanos. I still had some will though and wasn’t completely controlled and he knew it, so I still had to go along with it and play along with his plans. The scepter even allowed me to control other people. Which is why Clint hates me so much. After I was free, I was too embarrassed to admit to it, so I was imprisoned.”

Angel shook her head. “I’m so sorry. And her death, It wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known.” Angel sighed after a minute. “Charlotte was a beautiful blonde girl. She was about nine years old. She was a mutant too. She was my closest friend, and I loved her so much. I still do. One night while we were hiding, she got up to stretch her legs. She was an active girl. She was spotted, and shot right in front of me by that man.”

Angel jerked up as warm arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. “Don’t feel guilty. It wasn’t your fault.”

Angel let her head roll back onto his arm. “I don’t feel guilty. And neither should you.” Loki rested his head on hers. “I want revenge though. That’s why I accepted this whole thing with the avengers in the first place. Getting him won’t be enough. I need to get whoever ordered it.”

“What will you do after you succeed?”

“I’m going to leave. I was going to leave after the last attack, but they weren’t the right ones.”

Loki’s grip squeezed tightly. “You can’t.” he said severely.

“Ok.” She said softly.

 

The next day, Angel was being wheeled into Stark elevator. Loki was brooding over her subdued attitude, but didn’t bring it up. That night, Angel edged out of bed. She got fully dressed, pulling a thick jacket over her. She looked over at the wheelchair in the corner and sighed. She really didn’t want to do anything involving her feet but it couldn’t be helped. Pulling over a pair of boots, she grabbed her bag and shoved in some clothes and her lunchbox.

She pulled on a pair of gloves, and after a moment of consideration, pulled of her jacket. She adjusted the straps for her knifes so that they crossed over her chest and back, sheathing her knives and putting her jacket back on. Deciding that she was ready, Angel tiptoed out of her room. She took one guilty glance at Loki’s door.

Whatever was going on between them; it wasn’t going to work. She couldn’t quite understand what he had told her and what he had been through even with her own experience, but she knew it was personal. Too personal. She couldn’t let someone trust her like that again. She would just hurt them. As she reached the stairs, a robotic voice startled her. _Shit._

“Mrs. Riker…” She ignored whatever Jarvis said after that and was up the stairs in a second. Her original plan was not going to work. Halfway across the living room, another voice startled her.

 _“_ Angel?” _Shit_. It was Darcy, who fell asleep on the couch. “Why are you dressed?” Angel was across the room and at a panel in the wall as soon as Darcy was standing up. “What are you doing?” Angel flipped down a button, turning off the lights that shown off and on the tower.

“Angel!”

“I’m sorry.” Extending her wings, Angel grabbed a balcony railing and swung herself over it. Gliding, she flew to the side of the building, drawing her wings in a little. She let herself slide down, using her wings to slow her down. Wind ripped her hair around and she pressed her body close to the glass. At 20 feet from the ground, she pushed off and gently touched down. Praying that no one saw her and that Darcy and Jarvis wouldn’t alert anyone, she ran down the street.

_“_ Sir.” Tony lifted his head from his desk.

“What?” he groaned.

“It appears that Angel had run away.”

“What?! Jarvis, get everyone up.” Tony stumbled up from his chair, knocking over various metal parts. At Jane and Thor’s door, Darcy was furiously knocking. “Jane! Angel ran away! Get up!” After no reply; “Get your ass up!” Doors opened down the hallway. Jane opened the door too.

“What?”

“You heard me! She jumped over the balcony!” Steve appeared from behind. “Why would she run away?”

“I don’t know! She turned off the lights that shown on the tower, said sorry and jumped off!” Tony and Pepper stepped out from the elevator. “I’m guessing you’ve heard?” said Tony.

“She is not well.” Boomed Thor. “We have to make sure she will not injure herself further.”

Clint was pulling over a vest and was already making his way to the elevator. Natasha was following him. “Where are you two going?” asked Bruce. “We’re going to find her.” Replied Clint. Tony groaned. “Fine. Let’s go.” Thor caught Loki’s eye at the end of the hallway.

“Let me come too.” Thor furrowed his eyebrows. Loki gave him a look. “Please. Leash me to Dr. Banner if you are afraid of what I might do.” After a second, Thor nodded.

 

Five minutes later, Loki found himself sitting next to Bruce in the backseat of a van. Clint was driving, and Tony took the passenger seat. Clint turned the key, and he and Bruce jumped. “CALL 911 NOW!” a voice screamed. After a few seconds of horrible sounds, Clint turned off the radio. “Sorry. Left my CD in.” He smiled a little at Loki’s priceless expression, which turned into a glare. Tony smirked.

“What the hell was that?” he growled.

“Music.”

“How is screaming and random noises considered music?” To his annoyance his question was ignored. Tony pulled out his phone. “Do you even know where to go to?”

“No.” Admitted Tony. “I was hoping that you would know, since you two love birds spend so much time together.”

Loki frowned. “Whatever you’re insinuating, I sincerely hope you end there.”

Tony opened his mouth with another retort, but Bruce interrupted. “How about the bus station or a taxi?”

“Good. Actual helpful advice.” Clint backed out of the driveway, causing a seat beltless Loki to jerk forward and bump his head. He let out a few colorful curses. “Click it. I’m not getting pulled over because you didn’t put on your seatbelt.” Loki scowled but reached over to grab the strap.

“I’ll tell Natasha to look at the west bus station while we look at the north one.” Said Tony, texting. Then he reached down to turn the dial on the radio, turning on a rap song. Loki and Bruce groaned. Clint turned sharply, throwing Loki against the door. Loki growled and fumbled with the belt. Seeing Loki struggle, Bruce reached over and easily clicked the seatbelt in place. Loki nodded in gratitude. This was going to be a long ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a longer one! Tell me what you think so far and what you'd like to see! I want to add more Loki, but I've been having some writers block lately, so hopefully your comments will inspire me!


	26. What's Enough?

Arms pumping, head swimming from exhaustion, the pads of her feet burning, Angel stopped running and bent over. Her little daring adventure that completely wiped her out. After a good long vomit, that cleared the nausea away but left her hungry, she took out the map she found in the library. Waving her arm, Angel flagged down a taxi. One stopped and she got in.

“North end of town please.” Then she was off and in New York traffic. After a few minutes, the elderly cab driver turned to her. “You ok hun?” Tears had been streaming down her cheek. “What’s a young lady like you doing on the streets at two in the morning?”

Angel wiped her face and found that her voice was strained. “My boyfriend cheated on me.” She lied. “He blamed me and kicked me out.”

“Ohhh. I’m sorry to hear that. You have somewhere to go?”

Angel smiled at the sympathy. “Yeah. My Mom’s house.” _But if only it was that easy. If only I had those problems_. The elderly man shook his bald head. “Don’t trust the ones with no class. If he don’t hold the door for ya, he ain’t it.” Eventually they arrived at the bus station; she paid him and got out. She then bought a ticket for Maine and waited. The earliest bus was leaving at eight and no one accept a few people and the attendant where there. After twenty minutes of waiting, she turned to look out the window. Her eyes went wide as she saw Tony and Clint walking in.

Standing up from her seat on the bench, several tired people glanced up at her. Throwing on her bag and flipping up her hood, she walked to the door and pressed herself to the wall where the door would hit when it swung open. Sure enough, it did and they walked through. When they were a few steps in, she smoothly floated through the closing door and ran. Her jaw dropped dumbly when she saw Bruce and Loki staring at her through van windows. She ran the other way.

Taking refuge in a kind of alley by the dumpsters, she knew that what was going to happen was inevitable. She knew that they would only try to convince her to come back but she knew that they would eventually succeed. And she honestly didn’t want to face the people who had been her only friends in a long time.

She turned to face Tony and Clint. “Look.” She pleaded. “I have to leave. I just have to go.”

“Why?” asked Tony.

“Things just aren’t working out the way I planned.”

“Don’t worry!” said Clint. “We’ll protect you. You don’t have to be afraid.”

Angel stared at her feet. “It has to be this way.” Loki and Bruce rounded the corner, the trickster pushing past both men to their annoyance.

“Look, you’ll get your revenge. But you need us to….”

“No!” she interrupted. “You don’t understand. With what happened in the hospital; that was a wakeup call. They’ll find me, and they’ll hurt you all. Me leaving is for the best. All of you will fix everything and save every one of those mutants and like the name, avenge her.”

“Her?” questioned Bruce.

Loki turned his head to the side. “It’s complicated. Angel, we need you to do that. Who else knows those compounds like you do?”

“You’ll do fine without me. Now please.” With her head low, she brushed past him but he took her arm. “Angel. I need you.” She shrugged him off.

“That’s not enough.” She said coldly, hating herself when Loki winced. She instantly turned back. “I didn’t mean it like that…” His smirk caught her off guard. “I know you didn’t. How about we find a way to give you the chance to fly more often then?”

“We can do that.” Chimed Tony. “I’ve been working on a way. Maybe we even could have that race.” Angel stared at the ground again. That was the little thing that was needed to make her stay. Seeing that she had almost changed her mind, Loki pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder.

“Hey guys.” Piped up Tony. “If you guys are planning anything later and are in a hurry, I know a good motel not far from here.” Loki glared at him; Angel shot him the finger. Clint mumbled an excuse about the car and left. Bruce shifted uncomfortably.

“I still can’t stay.” Whispered Angel into his ear.

A mischievous expression crossed his face. “Alright then.” Before she could react, Loki bent down and threw her over his shoulder. He smiled at her girlish squeak. He turned and started walking.

She stilled for a second before shutting her eyes. “Loke. What are you doing?”

“Since you won’t listen to reason, I have to take you with us by force.” Angel looked at Bruce pleadingly, but he shook his head. “Come on, Brucie. Help me out!”

His lips quirked upwards. “I have to agree with Loki on this.” Angel rolled her eyes and clutched his back tightly.

 

They later found themselves crammed into a waffle house. How exactly they found themselves there, no one knew but they were there. Since the table was full, Natasha and Clint were siting by themselves. Angel situated herself in the corner and happily picked at pecan waffles drizzled in honey. Next to her was Loki then Bruce. Across from her were Thor, Tony, and Steve, who ate their food tiredly.

Thor finally turned to her. “Are you alright?”

She choked down her mouthful. “Yeah. Sorry for the scare. Momentary lapse in judgment.”

“Impressive by the way.” Commented Tony.

“So.” Began Steve. Angel sank back into her seat. “Why did you run away in the first place?” Loki moved forward, hiding her from everyone but Thor.

“It’s not important.” Said Loki quickly. “She’s here now.”

Tony raised his eyebrows and shot Steve a look. “Just know that she’s going to be flying more.” The captain seemed confused for a moment, but it was early so he decided to just accept it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it just me, or is Clint saying, "You don't have to be afraid." give you flashbacks to that 'Frozen' song, 'For the First Time in Forever Reprise'? Anyway, I think you all will like the next chapter. I haven't planned it out entirely quite yet, but I hope you'll enjoy!


	27. Practice

Two days later, Loki found himself with Angel, Thor, and Tony in a car. He didn’t particularly care for Tony’s driving skill. He seemed to swerve of course more than what was acceptable. The others had their own missions and jobs to attend to. Seeing hoops being loaded into the vehicle, he was curious to see what was planned. Two hours in, they were still and hour away from their destination. They had passed through the last gate and no other cars had been seen since then. Then Angel started to ask questions.

“Was that the last gate?” she asked. Tony nodded. “Where are the other cars?”

“This is just an abandoned coal mine that is protected against dumping. No one’s out here.”

Angel adjusted the ear piece in her ear. “This will work from far away, huh?” Tony nodded again. Then she started taking off the bands on her wrist and handed them to Thor, who tilted his head. “Will you hold on to this? Since ya’ll still don’t trust Loki and Tony and I will be in the air.” Thor nodded slowly and put them on.

“I’m going to open a window.” She added innocently. She turned her entire body to face the open space and even stuck out of the window. Annoyed out the loud sound, he rotated towards her. “Angel…” he began, but she only winked at him. She spun her body around in the window and nimbly climbed out. Tony made one of his famous swerves as the brothers made an attempt to reach for her.

All hearts in the car stopped as she let go and fell back. Loki was sure that she had hit the pavement and was splayed out in pain until something slapped his window. All heads whipped to his side as Tony swerved again before somehow straightening. Angel was ten feet way, shooting him a cheeky smile. In one swoop, she was up again and Tony could see the shadow on her wings just ahead.

“What. The. Fuck! Was she thinking?” yelled Tony, severely bothered. “I swear to God, my life flashed before my eyes and there wasn’t enough Pepper.”

Thor shook his head, chuckling slightly. “No Valkyrie is as brash and reckless as her.”

 _Or as absolutely stunning_. In the distance, Angel yelped in joy and he couldn’t help but smile.

In the air, Angel giggled to herself. Their expressions had been absolutely priceless! She wanted a camera to capture that moment forever. Angel thought that she would do anything to see that spark in Loki’s eye and his smile as the sun hit his hair just right as she caught his attention through the glass. Even if for just a second. Beating her wings higher, she whooped and hollered. She compared her yell to an eagle screaming, but it was more like a series of chirps from a less impressive bird.

After a while they came to a ridge between two low lying mountains. Any normal person would be upset at the desolation over the once beautiful havens and she did feel that way, but Angel saw potential. Out here way from the city lights and smog, she could finally be free from everything if only for a while. Speeding up, she ducked low a few yards in front of the car. With enough momentum, she pulled her wings down and spun like a screw. It would straighten out her trajectory. Through the gap, she spread out and glided.

Proud that she had lost no skill, she allowed her wings to drag along the shale rock. In a few beats upward, she was high in the air and rolled onto her back. On her back she flipped around and dived until she was just above the slowing car. With a thud, she landed on the car, letting her feathers flop down and cover the back passenger doors. Loki exited, careful around her wings. He gaped at her in a way that was not obvious if you didn’t know him. Angel smiled and playfully grazed a wing lightly against his cheek before taking off again. She was alive.

Cracking came through her earpiece which eventually evolved in to comprehensible sounds. By the way it sounded; she was hearing the last strands of a few colorful curses. “….what the hell where you thinking? I….” Angel interrupted him. “I’ve done it before.”

“How the hell….” But Thor cut him Tony again. Angel guessed that this pissed him off even more.

“I have never seen such feats! Maybe I shall join you!”

“Wait. How?”

“With Mjolnir I can jump long distances and great heights. It is very much like flying.”

Angel was about to say something, but Loki intervened. “Thor, if you even think about subjecting me to…” Mindfully, he pulled out his ear pierce before she could listen to his threat which meant less in his mortal form, but the intent and meaning was well conveyed.

A few minutes later, Tony was in the air suited up as Iron Man. “Let me warm up before we race. Try not to choke on my dusk.” With that, he was off. If anyone could fly smugly, it was Tony. He completed a lap just ahead of her previous speed. I’ll meet you at the ridge.” She did, and somehow not seeing his face annoyed her. “To the edge and back through the gap.” Angel agreed and after a countdown from Thor, they were off. Tony easily reached the end, turning at the end. But Angel had a strategy. It would be a cold day in hell when she could beat Iron Man, but she knew how to make it close. Climbing but still reaching the line, she then angled down and dove low.

The momentum worked in her favor and Tony beat her by only a couple yards. Landing to catch her breath, Loki whispered something in her ear. He smirked at she challenged Tony to an obstacle course. After the hoops were set up and a trail run, they started. Angel, more dexterous through bends and weaving even with her wingspan won easily.

After another hour of various tricks and twists and plenty of flight time so far away that they were lost from view, it was finally time to call it quits.

Two weeks passed that way. Angel was pretty sure she should be working more for the pay she got, but S.H.E.I.L.D still wanted to evaluate her more. She still gave them as much information about the compounds as they needed. Sometimes only one other teammate went with her and Tony wasn’t always there. She still surprised them with her climbing out the window trick. Even Jane and Darcy went. For two days, it was just Loki and Angel. Out of practice with driving, Loki felt safer when Tony drove. With control of the radio, Angel sang loudly eventually convincing him to join in.

The situation with the bracelets was sketchy, but no one worried about Loki very much anymore. She simply threw them to the side. With his encouragement and suggestions she learned a few new moves and a few ways to utilize her wind power. Three days, he didn’t make it because he was tired and wanted to catch up on equation. The resident scientists seemed very pleased with his results.

Then came the day went Angel arrived back with Bruce and Natasha and the tower was in shambles. Glass was shattered, Steve consoled Darcy, Thor comforted Jane (but it could be the other way around, Clint was walking around scowling, and Tony was muttering to himself. A harsh, sinking feeling made her blood go cold. Loki was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Duh Duh Duh!!!!! So what do you think happened?


	28. Kidnapped

In the lab, he and Jane discussed notes. Her knowledge and capabilities surprised him. They were just talking about the ups and downs potentially harnessing the energy when an alarm went off. They jumped, and Darcy fell out of her chair from where she was supposed to be answering emails instead of napping. The ground started to shake and Loki noticed glass panels falling from where the balcony was. Brushing his hand over the desk, he found a pair of scissors.

Jane pulled Darcy up from where she splayed out on the floor. “What the hell?” Yelled Darcy, offended. Distant footsteps shuffled down the stairs. Loki rushed to dead bolt the door.

“There’s a hiding place Tony built in for situations like this.” Said Jane who walked to a closet at one end of the room. Inside was nothing more exciting than a mop and broom. Jane yanked a few times on a shelf stacked with towels and various things. With some stronger tugs from Loki, it finally came loose. The panel came with it to reveal a very tiny room with room only to stand. Grabbing her arm and shoving Darcy in, Loki found that there wasn’t enough space for more than two.

“Wait!” called Jane as he shut the door.

“Get your ass back here!” shouted Darcy, kicking it.

Seeing it was sealed, Loki backed away. “Do shut up, or the effort will be in vain. There’s not enough room and Thor would never forgive me.” They beat the door a few more times before he hit it himself in warning, silencing them. With that, he edged himself into position.

Just what do they want? And how the hell is Tony’s defense system not up? They’ve figured that the Avengers are not here. They have to be after Angel. The thought sickened them and Loki promised himself he would not hold back. The door burst open with a kick from the other side as men with masks filed through. Loki took the first swipe to the first man’s neck. He missed, but sliced his chest instead.

Grabbing the man’s knife, he whirled to face his other opponent. Lashing out, three backed away as two pushed forward from behind him. He stabbed back, leaving his left exposed and defenseless. He was always better with dual weapons and well, he was out numbered. His left arm was taken and as he reached out to cut, they pressed in. His arm was twisted behind him and he gasped, sure that it would break. As the knife was wrenched from his hand, he felt a sensation similar to losing your footing while mountain climbing.

Both limbs were held back as a stick was brought to his chest. Loki tried to weasel back but was firmly held in place. His body was suddenly conversing with electricity that burned him. He tried to fight, but couldn’t escape. He cried out and fell limp in agony. His mind flashed back to memories of Thanos, which he quickly banished.

Sounds flooded over him like tidal waves. “Did you find anyone else?” asked one.

“No. This hostage will have to do.”

“You think it will be enough?”

“Who can predict that bird girl? I’ve heard she’s sentimental so maybe she’s friends with this guy.” None too kindly, he was dragged up the stairs by his feet. His head pounded on the concrete with every inch they climbed. Eventually they reached the top and he was thrown on to a helicopter. His wrist were tied so tightly behind him that he couldn’t squirm without cutting off circulation and he was gagged and blindfolded. He wanted to scream, but he wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

After some time, his captors eventually paid attention to him. A tug on his hair yanked him to face someone as the blindfold was taken off. His handicap taken, he decided to take his chances and attempted to lash out.

The laughed and cat calls where shouted. “We’ve got a lively one here, boys.” He was quickly subdued with a solid punch and more ropes where fastened around his feet, knees, and his chest which even Loki thought was overkill. But if their goal was to cause him to become cloausterfobic, it was working. His entire body felt unnaturally constricted. He looked sideways at his captors, letting hair fall in his face.

“What’s ya name?” asked the man who punched him. Loki refused to answer. He was slapped this time. “What a’ ya called?” he shouted in Loki’s face. He turned to his friends before Loki could say anything. “This one’s not as interesting as I thought.”

 _“_ Yeah.” Said another. “You’d think he more exciting after that fight he put up. Definitely not an agent, that’s for sure. Scientist maybe?” _Maybe if I was not outnumbered…._

 _“_ Researcher actually.” Spoke Loki. “Applied physics and engineering. I’m helping Tony Stark with a new suit. Now who might you fellows be?”

“A brit!” yelled one to no one in particular.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” said their leader. “Now what’s yours? Don’t be shy.”

In his head, Loki cursed this man and the very ground he tread upon. Aloud though, a smooth lie slipped from his tongue. “Thomas Hiddleston.” The leader flashed his teeth and held a knife to Loki’s throat.

“Well, Tom, do you happen know a girl with wings?” He flapped his arms stupidly for comedic effect, earning a laugh. “Not butterfly or insect I might add. The feather variety.” He stopped flapping and pressed the knife closer to his throat.

Loki blinked twice. “Pardon?”

“Her name’s Elaine Mose. I sure hope your sake that you know her.” Yes, it was obvious that he knew it was Angel and that they were referring to her. She must use aliases.

He furrowed his eyebrows. “Elaine is…. How?” The man only laughed. “He knows the harpy! Eh’ Rob! Lights out!” He grinned at Loki and moved back. A man, presumably Rob sauntered up and bent down.

“You have two options. My fist or the needle. Don’t worry. Both are clean. I washed my hands.”

Loki tried his best look scared. “The fist please.”

“Didn’t take you to be the kind of guy to be afraid of needles.” He smiled sadistically and jabbed the sharp bit into his arm. Loki grunted and feigned fear, breathing heavily and shaking. It was taken out and the blindfold was strapped back on, leaving him in darkness. He knew that the needle might be contaminated, but it would take several punches to render him unconscious and leave him with head trauma.

Inwardly, he shook with fear, rage, and worry. Panic threatened to consume him as he was reminded him of his mortality. No warm magic buzzed through him. He would never talk to his mother again. He would be tortured. He might never see Angel, even for a goodbye. He was a cold, monstrous beast left out in the dark to face the last moments of his frigid breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder, 'Elaine Mose' was a alias Angel has used in the past. Also, Tom Hiddleston name drop. Prepare for Angel angst next. Ser ser, I think she has mental issues or at least PTSD. Also, I had this all written on Monday, but I wanted to leave you all on a cliff hanger. ;)


	29. Not Running

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, this almost made me cry! Also, like a sentence of religion so please don't become all offended or whatever. I wouldn't normally include that in the notes, but YouTube comments has degraded me into not trusting the internet to not go all out into stupid arguments.

_“_ Please. Think of what of Asgaurd will think.” Angel restrained herself from biting her lip. It was vital that the council approved the rescue mission. She was in the common room surrounded by her friends, only a few hours after she had arrived home. She had even attempted to dress appropriately; a blue blouse and jeans with slip on shoes. She had even made sure that her face, nails, and hair were clean. Darkened screens popped up in holograms, hiding the faces of the council which Angel found entirely pointless.

“Yes.” Spoke up Thor. “They will not be pleased.” Only Thor seemed to be as worried and bothered as her. “Surely there can be a quick solution.”

“We will have to discuss this in private.” Said one. “We’ll back to you.”

Angel stepped forward. “Time we don’t have is running out. He doesn’t have much time. Look, this is coming from someone who knows what they will do. I don’t want what happened to me to happen to him.”

“You are… fond of him?” Angel clinched her teeth. Natasha had warned her about this. “You could say that. Don’t get me wrong, he can be a complete ass at times, but we’ve reached an understanding.” Some council seemed to be surprised at her swearing. She didn’t know how they would react if she had said what was really on her mind.

“Well.” Said the only woman on the council. “I don’t see any reason not to. It might take a few days to find him.”

Angel bowed her head, keeping it there. “Thank you.” She lifted it after the council was gone. Thor clapped a hand over her shoulder. Tony let out a breath. He and Steve had struggled not to say anything, over Natasha’s watch. At that moment, Darcy arrived with boxes of Chinese food.

“I’m going to go fly.” She excused herself, taking Darcy’s place in the elevator.

“Aren’t you hungry?” she asked. “No.”

 

The sun fell down, but that did nothing to slow Angel down. Out of view from the post, she clambered out and took off. When she was over the ridge, she screamed. She beat her wings higher and higher until she was so far up she could scarcely breathe which didn’t help her hyperventilating. She screamed again and again and again until she became hoarse. Then she left her wings fold over and fell, shrieking.

Just in time though, she slowed and landed. Well, it was more of a tumble. Her wings flopped to the ground, becoming stained with dirt and grime. She felt her face blotch and redden, fat tears streaming down her swollen cheeks. She lay there, sprawled out and sobbing.

She was a failure. She let Loki down. She was a fool to believe that she could be free and protect the ones she loved. She remembered Charlotte’s cheery face as she held her in her arms. Then the bullet that killed her. She could clearly picture that same bullet passing through Loki. Rising to her knees, she took in her dead surroundings. She felt as desolate, alone, and empty the rock she knelt on.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw something white near where they always parked. Brushing away tears and very aware that she was on the verge, she walked all the way over. She no longer wanted to fly for the moment, and let her wings drag lifelessly. A sheet of cheap computer paper was pinned to the ground by a knife.

She picked it up and read.

 

We’re watching you. We’ve always been watching you.

Return here tomorrow morning alone if you want to see him again. If you don’t comply, we will torture and shoot him and send you the video. We will give you directions. Leave all weapons here. We will return him alive only if there is no resistance.

Angel fell to her knees. She was blank. Just a blank slate. All she could do was to obey or else Loki would be condemned to a horrible, horrible fate. With every fiber of her being, she didn’t want to return. Never again. But she could never leave him there. As heartless as it was, she would probably let that happen to a stranger but never to anyone she knew. Especially him. He had become her closest friend; he had shared so many awful things he had suffered through with her. True, she never told anything about her past, so she really felt like she was trusted by him. Maybe the only one he had trusted in a while.

Angel suddenly felt the urge to vomit and barely contained it. She was on the brink now. A feather could tip her over now. She didn’t want to go back, but she had to. He had been an irritable, cold, heartless person when she first met him. The only difference now though was that he occasionally smiled and even she could tell that he relaxed and softened around her. That desperate look in his eye had been replaced with a more content one. He had been so broken before.

A memory popped into her head, right before her parents died. She had asked her mom why she had been given such an ironic name. “Hon.” She had said. “I gave you that name to always remind you that celestial; absolutely amazing. People say angels are messengers or saviors of God, but I interpret it different. We come from Valkyries of Asguard, angel like creatures. But we are not their soldiers. We are warriors of the Lord. God knows we don’t come from him and you’ll one day face yourself doubting him, but that’s the hard truth.” Mom had always been religious.

Falling down, she screamed and clawed at the ground. Whatever she was supposed to be, she sure didn’t feel like any of those things. She sure didn’t live up to the name, and she sure as hell wasn’t a heavenly warrior. She was a scrawny, awkward, uncouth thing who was somehow chosen to bare strange unnatural wings. She couldn’t even save a dear little girl. How could she save Loki?  

 

Angel floated around in dream world, finally falling unconscious from the panic attack. It was rather pleasant at first. At an old run down motel, Charlotte crawled into bed with her. They snuggled under the scratchy sheets, sharing thoughts, ideas, hopes, dreams, stories, and wishes. Angel could even feel herself brushing out her long golden hair. Then it melted into a typical walk with Loki, but Charlotte was there too.

Loki seemed to like her, and listened as intently to her ramblings as he did to Angel’s. Angel laughed loudly and gazed up at the sky. Something boomed and shook her and when she turned back, Loki and Charlotte were on the ground, riddled with holes and bleeding profusely. In her dream, Angel screamed and tried to shake herself awake but not before she saw every resident in Stark tower get a similar treatment.

Thrashing, Angel tossed until she woke up in sweat, tears, and an embarrassing runny nose. She could tell that her face was probably red and splotchy. Collecting her thoughts, she stopped herself and made herself sit up and calm down. Something had tipped inside of her. Angel felt stone cold; hard and empty and she knew what she had to do. Straightening herself out, she began to walk to her car as the sun was just setting.

 

Six thirty the next morning, Angel woke up and readied herself for her day. She had only gotten a few hours of sleep that night, but somehow managed to take a shower, get dressed in a grey flannel she hadn’t even bothered to button up over her tank, and was in the elevator by seven. A droopy eyed Steve had also managed to be ready by then and caught the elevator to ride down with her.

“Any news?” she asked. Steve shook his head, eyeing the knives in her hands. “I couldn’t sleep. I’m going to go fly.”

Steve considered this and turned to her. “Do you want me to go with you?” Angel shook her head. “You know that we’re with you, right? We’re a team and we’re here to help each other.” Angel nodded.

“Listen.” Steve gave her a look and she couldn’t help but avert her eyes. “Please don’t run. We have your back.”

Angel jerked her head up, and he caught a glimpse of something unreadable. “I’m not running.”

 

Angel had grabbed food on the way there since she hadn’t eaten dinner and breakfast. Not a wise choice for her metabolism. She almost smiled at the way the drive in employee gapped at her order; two big macs, a coke, and a large order of fries before eight on a Saturday morning. She arrived at the site promptly around tenish. Sure enough, there was a note on the ground pinned with a knife. Angel picked it up and read.

 

Wise choice. Leave your weapons here. Memorize the map and follow it to the x. Dispose of the message here. Do not attempt resist or we will shoot him.

 

There was a detailed map printed on the page. Her route was pretty straight forward, and she ripped the paper up again and again until it was in little shreds and tossed the bits into the wind. She pushed the wind, and the pieces blew away. Falling to her knees, she studied the knives. They were a matching set, and very long at a foot and a half-length. No one could deny the craftsman ship; they were well made, strong, polished, and barley nicked.

Her father had given her these for whatever reason. Not really an appropriate gift to a twelve year old; but they had been passed down in his family for five generations. On whatever leave grandfather it was, had gotten the knives for his son on a trip to Asia. That son had been training to be a mixed martial artist. While the daughter of that son hadn’t carried on the title, she had inherited the knives.

As light reflected from the blades, Angel realized that this was one of the only things her parents had been able to leave her and her most prized possessions. Angel looked out over the ridge where she was supposed to head.

It would be so easy to just run away right now. Life had been so much easier when it was only about surviving. She sliced her blades into the ground. Grinding them in deep so that they would stay up, she stood and released her wings. But life was so meaningless. Running, she took off.

In less than thirty minutes at top speed, she arrived at an abandoned warehouse. _Who the hell builds a warehouse in the middle of nowhere?_ Landing, she faced a locked door. She condensed a blade of wind so small and tightly, it easily broke the handle off and she entered. Without hesitation, she strode into the very middle of the dark and empty room.

Dramatically, lights clicked on and masked men walked in. One dragged a squirming trussed up Loki, who seemed to be drenched wet. _That fucking shit again._ These were the same guys who liked to interrogate their victims by leaving them in a hot sweltering room then drenched their captives in ice cold water. It was an absolutely horrible experience. They were also the ones who sent that man to capture and/or kill her. They killed Charlotte.

They threw Loki to his knees, and he stared at her in horror of what she was about to do. The same desperate look was in his eyes. A man stepped up from the ranks.

“No trouble. A quick exchange.” He held out a hand to shake.

Angel took a step forward and folded her arms. “You leave him in the deserted strip mine.”

“Deal.”

Her voice cracked, “Deal.” Angel took his hand and shook. Her face hardened as her blood ran cold. She felt completely dead inside. She had just made a deal with the devil. She did nothing as men pinned her arms roughly behind her and tied them entirely too tightly.

“Wait!” she cried though no one stopped except for the leader. “Let me have one moment with him. Just a few words. Please.” The leader threw his head back and crackled.

“How about it? Alright.” Then he grinned and added. “Gag her.” The deed was done, and she was brought to where Loki was kneeling. There, they faced each other and neither could say a word to each other. “Time’s ticking.”

Loki’s mind was racing with a million different things, and to his surprise Angel didn’t even attempt to speak. She lifted herself higher up, but made no move to stand. Leaning in, she set her forehead against his, closing her eyes. When she opened them back up, they both gazed intently at each other, taking in every detail of the other’s eye. Deep emerald eyes knit with worry stared into intense blue. Loki was taken aback from how hard they were; so different from her usual soft expression. But the moment was over far too soon and she was dragged away.

Loki’s scream was muffled by the cloth over his mouth, which only increased his screams. Angel didn’t even look back. Two men stayed behind. With their comrades gone, one said, “Just leave him here. She’ll never know, and even then she can’t do anything about it.”

“Yeah. Just leave him to starve.” The pair left, leaving Loki alone.

Struggling harder with his bonds, Loki fought and shrieked. This was far worse than anything they could have done to him. They had taken her and he was completely helpless to stop them. He preferred a bullet to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a bit too angsty even for me and I'm the author.... Something is wrong with me. Why am I so mean to them? Also, lazy last minute writing about just where Angel got those knives..... Oh, and please, please, please tell me what you think. It will help me write the next chapter, which is about a sad Loki and a surprise.


	30. A Letter

Around noon, Natasha went to Angel’s room to tell her that she needed to eat lunch, since it was around one and she hadn’t seen Angel leave her room. She didn’t know that Angel had left. She knocked, and when there was no answer, she entered. It took the assassin mere seconds to notice the note on the desk and made the connection. She skimmed over the note and was off.

Hours later she was in a car with Clint and Steve while Tony and Thor went ahead. Arriving at the sight, they found the two there, apparently making no progress.

“What the hell possessed her?” yelled Steve. “Why couldn’t she trust us?” They stood around where she had left her knives in the ground. Clint tilted his head at their odd configuration.

“Why are they twisted in at that weird angle?” The knives were facing different directions, and leaning different ways. He knelt down and studied the hilt. “There are arrows on this.”

“What?” Steve knelt down. Sure enough, electrical tape in the shape of arrows was there. “But they point different directions.”

“But if you follow to where they’re pointing, it’s meeting to the point just between the ridge. If she left them perfectly straight so that they pointed there, it would look suspicious. But if she put them in an irregular angle but left arrows to point to the right path, well, yeah. There you go.”

Tony and Thor had taken off before the end of the explanation. When they had arrived at the warehouse, they found a tied up, very clammy, cold, and seriously pissed off Loki. After they released him, he immediately demanded that they find Angel. After a few hours, even S.H.E.I.L.D was in the area looking, but no one could find her. They had disappeared without a trace.

They had immediately sent him to a base to be cared for, which he hated but agreed to. The paramedics had been amazed that he hadn’t gone into shock from the cold water poured on him, but he was nauseous. They cared for his various cuts, bruises, scrapes, and fed him. He hadn’t eaten anything since he had been taken. He wasn’t exactly rude, but he wasn’t very gracious either. They sent him back in two hours.

_“_ Did you find her?” he asked Bruce, but he shook his head. Loki could feel his heart sink. “Nothing?”

“No. No news.” Since then, Loki had locked himself in his room. The next morning, Thor went to comfort him. Not that he expected to get very far with Loki, and he was still upset about his betrayal. But Loki seemed different now. Not redeemed or trustworthy, but changed. Thor knocked.

“Go away.”

“Loki, it’s me.”

“Exactly. Now go away.”

“I’m coming in.”

“Thor.” He said more seriously. “Do not…” but Thor opened it anyway. The room was in horrible shape. The mattress had found its way to the floor, the desk was tipped over, and the dresser was completely tipped over. Loki was nestled between the desk and the bed, looking more than a little rough with his hair uncared for and his clothing ruffled.

Thor stood there, holding a plate of food. “You need to eat.” Loki grimaced and a lump formed in his throat. It was scrambled eggs. Angel fixed it for him every day, and when he didn’t want any, she poked his arm and called him scrawny. She ate them right in front of him and told him that breakfast was the most important meal of the day and how her father told her that eggs were the best fuel so he always fixed her eggs before school.

“I don’t want anything. Really.” True, Loki had lost his appetite.

“You’ll want to read this then.” Thor set the plate on floor and picked his way through the mess and tossed a paper over to Loki. He sat himself on the other side of the bed, atop the mattress. Loki half-heartedly picked it up and read.

Dear Friends,

I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry. I need you to understand that I have to do this, or else they will kill Loki. I can’t just let that happen. A note was left in the strip mine telling me to be there the next morning, and well, I have to go. You have to understand that if I told you, they would find out and it would be too late. They’re going to give me instructions on where to go. I would tell you where I’m going, but I won’t know until I get there.

I know that you’re going to try to rescue me, and that fact gives me hope. But it is vital that you hear me out on one thing. You cannot send Bruce, Steve, and Thor. Whatever you do, do not send them. Send no super human or mutant of any kind. On any off chance that they get caught or something, there will be great consequences. They will torture, experiment, and kill them. This is not an exaggeration, but the killing part won’t happen to me since they’ll catch me alive. But it will happen to everyone else. I don’t know why I was spared, but they will do that to anyone else.

Please, please do not send Loki either. I don’t want any of you to see me in the state I’ll be in, and I couldn’t bare it if Loki saw. Please. He’s made so much progress. I don’t want to ruin that. And so help you God if you show him that part.

Thank you for all that you’ve done for me. It means more than you’ll ever know. And if I don’t make it back, well, just annihilate the ones who did it and I’ll rest in peace. Give Loki my things in the lunchbox in my drawer if anything happens.

Eternally grateful,

_Angel Riker_

P.S.

Feed Loki’s fish. She gets two pellets in the morning and afternoon.

Loki felt queasy and wrapped himself into a tight ball. “Brother?” Loki realized that Thor had said it several times. Thor was throwing a blanket around his shoulders. Loki’s body temperature lowered. Cold sweat fell across Loki’s paling face.

“Only Angel would think of the fucking fish.” He murmured. Thor grabbed his shoulders.

“We will find her. It will be alright.” This triggered something in Loki.

He pushed Thor off and stood. “Really? What exactly do you think the definition of ‘alright’ is? She will be ruined after they’re finished with her! Will she be like mother, no better than a stone dead corpse? We all, and especially Angel, know exactly what will happen to her. Those other mutants are a perfect example of that!”

“Brother…”

“I am not your brother!” Something flashed in Loki’s eye and a force blasted from him, pushing Thor and other furniture from him. As sudden as it started, Loki stopped talking. He looked around, bewildered that he had managed to use magic when it had been taken from him. Even Thor realized what this meant.

“Loki.” He breathed. “Your power wasn’t taken.”

_“_ It was sealed.” He finished, looking over at Thor. A genuine smile crossed his face as his eyes lit up. He was no longer helpless to do anything. _I can save her_. The thought rang through his mind. _I can save her!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously. Who remembers the fish?   
> Edit: it might take a while for the next chapter to come out. I have'nt really planned it out and I have a paper and prodject to do.


	31. Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I had time to write and upload! Also, dark chapter. Turned out way creepier than I imagined. Like, this disturbed me. And, I just love time skips. They're my favorite plot device.

The next day, Loki found himself in the same position Angel had been in, though he didn’t know it. It tore him apart that they still couldn’t locate her, but he was full of hope. He could finally contribute to her rescue. Right now, he stood in front of the council to try to contribute.

“Why should we trust you?” was the first and most obvious question. No one doubted that he was able, but everyone was worried over the fact that the presumed psychopath was now a magically armed psychopath.  

“My intentions are only to save her. If you fear that I will attempt anything other than that goal, you are sorely mistaken. Believe me; I could have escaped long ago with little effort.” That may have been a stretch, but it was true. He had had so many opportunities.

“And just why do you want to save her?”

“Out of the goodness of my heart.” He replied flatly. “No, seriously. She has done many things for me, and I would like to return the favor.”

“Oh.” Said one council member, smugly. “Would you say that you are…. fond? Of her?”

Loki gritted his teeth. “You could say that. I have become rather attached to her.”

“Why?”

He tilted his head and smiled, and it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “She is like a small annoying dog that you just can’t get rid of without feeling like a complete monster.” An awkward silence filled the room. “Now let’s not waste each other’s time. Either you let me on or not. Let me just say, that I might become less compliant if I don’t get my way.” The meeting was adjourned and lights turned on.

“Somehow, I don’t think that they like you very much.” Said Tony. Loki rolled his eyes and left.

It was four days since the meeting with the council, and Loki was almost shaking with anxiety. It was five days since Angel had been taken, and it was killing him to not be able to do anything. Thor had convinced him that he should start training, but it wasn’t a big enough distraction. The tower residents were to nicer to him now. He guessed that part of it was sympathy since everyone was downhearted. Some convincing from Thor and Bruce also helped.

Even Clint and Tony resisted the urge to stick an arrow in his neck and call him creative nicknames respectively. Finally, when Loki could take it no more, they had tracked them down. Even better yet, they allowed him to join.

_“_ Stop.” Loki stopped just a few steps behind Steve. “Show me your badge.” Steve whipped out the item, which had the face of a man who looked very different from him, yet he was allowed to pass through the guarded underground checkpoint. Even Loki made it through, though he didn’t share the face of the wrinkling man who was on this badge. Of course, the fact that Loki was using an illusion spell helped.

The pair had already passed through four other gates, which Loki began to tire of. He began to think of how Angel would react if she knew that one of the several specific people she did not want to come rescue her, were coming to rescue her. Loki was however, heeded part of her warning and prepared himself to make sure the Captain would get away, regardless of any obvious objection on his part.

Eventually they reached the final point, where they were greeted by a group of people in stereotypical lab coats. Loki swore that they would hear his heartbeat or notice him nervously licking his lips or blinking, but the illusion hid that. False well wishes and greeting fell off his tongue with ease as he treated people he would like to see hanged as colleagues. He could bet that they really didn’t care for the pleasantries either. A slimy thirty something who’s cologne smelled like salt stepped forward.

“You’ll be very interested in our newest arrivals. We’ve had some trouble with one, but we think we’ll break her eventually.”

 _Break?_ The man led them down a hallway. “Maybe once you assess the situation, you can assist us.”

“Of course.” Replied Steve, definitely actually disgusted. The man’s sickening scent washed over him. It was thick and wet, and nowhere near as pleasant as an ocean or sea. “What should I be warned of?”

“She is aggressive, and she has a sharp tongue. The usual tactics won’t work since she’s been through the labs before. But we need to learn from her. But she’s so uncooperative, we might just need to take a sample of what we need and test the rest.” He said this as if this explained anything, so Steve didn’t encourage him. All was going well, until a klutz carelessly opened a door and waltzed out.

The door knocked straight into Steve, who then bumped into Loki. It caught the trickster off guard, and he lost the concentration needed to maintain the spell. After the confusion cleared, the scientist stared stupidly at the two intruders. Steve quickly found his shield and powered through the group, creating a path. Loki threw down a smoke bomb just for the sake of a little chaos. They headed down the corridor where they were being led to.

Through double doors, they reached a giant room with doors that lead down to other hallways and rooms. Tables with lab equipment littered the floor, and there were far too many tools covered in blood for Loki’s taste. Loki quickly coated the handles in ice, effectively freezing them shut. Dim hanging lamps lit the room. They saw a man in a suit at the other end of the room, staring them down.

His hair was probably once more blonde, and had less highlights. His face was oddly stretched at weird angles, and didn’t really fit his plumpish figure. He had dull eyes and a gloating grin.

“You gentlemen looking for something? A certain someone? A little bird perhaps?” Distant screaming that could only come from Angel filled the room. Loki gritted his teeth and clenched his knuckles. “Does she happen to sound like that?” The Captain threw his shield in warning, narrowly missing the man.

“Tell us where she is right now or I swear to God that you will regret it.”

“The caged bird always sings the prettiest. That’s why I collect those sounds.” The screaming increased as the noise seemed to flood the room. Somehow the man’s voice was just clearly audible. “This is all her. She reaches a tone I particularity enjoy. Do you want to listen to some more?” Somehow, it got even louder. “In fact, one sound is her shrieking right now. Can you guess which one it is?”

“Why are you doing this?” Shouted the Captain. Both of them were straining to keep from covering their ears. They had to pick out which sound was hers.

“I know when I’m done for. With S.H.E.I.L.D on the way, this is the last torture I can dish out. I seem to be doing a good job, huh? Just look at your friend there.” Steve didn’t look back at Loki, who was absolutely petrified.

Suddenly, a voice just a few decibels over the horrible sound waves coming from the back left corner door, shouted: “Shut up whore! I’m trying to scream!” It was unmistakably Angel. From nowhere, Loki withdrew a knife and flung it at the man. He was running towards the shrieks down the hall before the man dropped dead to the floor.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You think things will get better after this but they won't. Also, I made sure to point out the cologne part because in fifth grade, we once had a substitute who had the weirdest cologne. The only way you could describe it was 'salty' but there was something very unpleasant and damp about it. It was weird, and to this day I hate that scent. That was entirely pointless, but it needed to be said.


	32. Safe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why is this so dark? Something is wrong with me. Anyway, for effect listen to the song 'If Only' by Fiction Plane. I can't figure out how to link to it, and you can only find it on YouTube. Any if there is any copy write problem at all, tell me and I'll delete it straight away. This didn't really turn out how I imagined it to be, so yeah. Eh. I'm just happy I get to move the story along.

Angel didn’t know how much of this she could take. She lost count of the hours she spent on cold metal tables or hanging from chains in dark rooms. The little sleep she got did no good, and she refused to eat. Being force fed wasn’t really worth it, but she did it anyway because it caused them trouble. She protested in other ways too. When she had the chance, she fought and kicked and once when she got lucky, bit off a hunk of ear. A good sized hunk. She even managed to claw a surgeon’s wrist so bad she was sure that she caused permanent damage. He was young too.

She wasn’t always so strong willed though. Sometimes she just hung there as she was being asked questions or didn’t even fight the screams from her lips as she was beaten. She whimpered at the pain from swells left from countless injections. She cried too, shamelessly. Sometimes she was furious, other times, just depressed. Mostly, empty. The hope of rescue and of Loki’s survival just wasn’t enough anymore. She had fits of screaming were she went on for hours without stop.

When she was lucky, she could zone out and listen to the playlist of songs she had collected in her head. She even sung aloud. Some songs were soft and beautiful, some fun, others violent, and still more hiding little snips of lyrics she enjoyed and liked to think said exactly what she thought about all the people who tormented her.

But through it all, Angel never let them get what they wanted, her most precious gift. Her wings. She knew from all the talk around her (they didn’t seem to think she could hear, or didn’t care) and the prodding at her back that they planned to chop them off and study them. Regardless of the small chance of her survival from that operation and the possibility she would be left alone, she was stubborn. She would rather die whole than broken. No matter how much she fought and resisted, and succeeded, she knew it was true. She was broken.

Right now, she was chained by the wrists and strung up to opposite walls in the middle of the room. Ice cold water was dumped on her head, slimy ice sliding down her shirt, making her shiver. Slumping, she made eye contact with a vile woman she particularly despised. She belted out a few choice words from one of her favorite songs, If Only by Fiction Plane. It was a song that was difficult song to find so she never could download it, but she committed the song to her memory.

 _“_ Chasin the skirt of a beautiful wife. You make mistakes and it’s my back that breaks. And forever, my past steals my life! To submission I’m beat but there’s hope beneath these feet.” The woman grabbed Angel’s throat, but she continued, “Blisters and blood, and the sun makes you blind. You don’t let it eat, til’ it can’t help but be kind. Cause you know what’s important with your back to the wall…..”

“You insolent little shit.” Chains rattled as her face was lowered to meet the woman’s, as Angel began to shake from the cold, frozen air enveloping her. “I’ve had it with you. If you don’t submit soon, I’ll personally stab you until you either give in or die.”

“You can break metal chains when your friends don’t let you fall!” she finished. “Why won’t you just shut up!?” the woman shouted, exasperated by the insistent singing.

“I’ll never submit.” She whispered, the only words she had actually used to directly speak to someone since she got there. “You can’t take anything else from me.” She forced herself to stop shivering even as the ice burned her skin.

“Then we’ll take one of your friends.” The lady glared back, her eyes deadly.

But there was something darker and more sinister was in Angel’s eyes. “Those threats are pointless. I’ll be dead by the time you carry them out, and you’ll still never get what you want. Figure it out already. You can’t dissect my wings from my dead corpse. I control them. I have no idea how it works, but I know that only I can unfurl them. Dead or alive, I will never give you what you want. I was born with them, and I will die with them.”

Angel began screaming again, and the woman ducked under the chains to grab a knife. She held it to the still screaming Angel. “I swear to God almighty, I will kill you!”

Angel stopped momentarily to retort. “God has nothing to do with this. If he did, none of this would be happening.” The woman began to scream hysterically into Angel’s ear, and finally she got completely sick of it. She was completely sick of all of this. With reflexes she didn’t know she had, Angel managed to kick her knee in so that she collapsed, lifted up a leg, wrapped it around the woman’s neck, and shouted, “Shut up whore! I’m trying to scream!” She then threw the woman down hard.

Angel slumped back down in her chains from the effort. Frizzy hair wet and icy fell down her face. Her arms were strained and ached deeply as blood from chaffing dripped from her wrists and her sides shot waves of pain through her body. Her heart hurt with the anguish she felt. She was completely broken now, and she screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed.

 

To be honest, they were not prepared for what they were about to see. Angel was hanging by clunking chains, and she stopped screaming when she saw them enter. Her eyes went wide and she just stared. Loki, strangely collected, propped her up so that she would be comfortable. Steve stopped and swore. Seeing that Loki was taking care to her, he searched for keys on the woman groaning on the floor.

“I told you not to fucking come.” She growled, resting her head on his chest.

“I know.” He brushed her hair from her face. She was cold and wet, and she shivered. Suddenly, men with guns burst through the door. They were not S.H.I.E.L.D. They yelled for hands to be put up. Steve threw his shield, knocking that man down, and just dodged bullets shot at him. In one movement, Angel forced herself to stand and wrapped her hands around the chains to pull them taunt. Loki grabbed onto the chain, and Steve took the cue and did the same thing.

From nowhere, a breeze blew through the room, rapidly getting stronger. Wind whipped her hair around her face until she couldn’t see, but she still went on. Loki and Steve desperately clung to the chain as the men were thrown like rag dolls. She grunted at the weight of the chains as she was pulled, but she just kept building up energy. Air rushed past her mouth, making it hard to breathe and it irritated her injuries. She felt herself get weaker with every second.

A horrible cracking sound filled the air, and the stone walls fell down, accompanied by cries for help. Steve narrowly managed to shimmy over and cover all three of them with his shield. Loki pulled up a protection barrier too. Eventually after some warping and groaning, the ceiling fell down.

It crashed down on their heads, rattling them around. Dust was kicked up by the prevailing wind. For a moment, all was silent but something moved under the pile of rock. Shifting the ruble away, Steve dug them out and he was surprised to see the wind was still blowing, and getting even stronger. He just blocked a flying rock just in time.

“She’s not stopping!” he yelled to Loki, who was holding on to Angel. In the nest of concrete and steel, she curled up against Loki, panting. She was getting paler and paler with every slowing breath she took.

“Angel!” said Loki, distressed, shaking her. “You have to stop.” The wind howled as it got worse, tossing up rocks. “Angel! We need you to stop.” He pressed her closer to his body and held her head.

“I’m trying.” Her voice was faint. After another minute, it slowed and ceased all together. The world tilted she blacked out in Loki’s arms. Despite the situation, Loki was relieved. _I will never let you be hurt again. I will never let my dear Angel go._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hadn't checked the view count in a while, and when I saw it, I almost choked on my gum. Thank you so much for the support! I never thought I would get any attention, let alone over 700 people reading my work!


	33. Grounded

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Not dead! Just had a lovely, and busy, Easter weekend.

Angel felt absolutely sick and tired. She lolled her head to the side and found that she was on top of something soft. A bed. She was comfortably warm under a load of blankets. She opened her eyes, and was confused. How did she wind up in a bed? Angel blinked and tried to shift her body around. That was too much for her exhausted body, and she immediately settled down.

She tried to make a sound, but it was no use. Her mouth was far too dry to cry out. Shivering with a chill, she attempted to unfurl her wings to wrap around her body. But for some reason, she couldn’t. Rolling her shoulders, she tried again. And again. Panicking, she tried again and again and again. Gasping for breath, she went limp. Tears filled her eyes, and she drifted off into a fitful sleep.

The next time she woke, she was still in the same room. She slowly came to realize that she was in her room. Twisting around, she learned that she was in a rather comfortable pair of pajamas. An oversized grey t shirt that swam over her and soft sleep pants. Angel turned her head, grunting at her aching bruises on her stomach. She turned to see Loki, who was dozing on the niche by the window. _He looks so young when he sleeps._ She thought. Then, _can I unfurl my wings?_ She attempted yet again. When it didn’t work, and she dug herself deeper into her covers, the movement waking up Loki. Smoothly, he leaned forward to see if she was indeed awake. In one movement, he was at her side, patting around for her hand.

_Why is she hiding? Why is she covering her face? Is she scared?_

_“_ Angel, it’s me, Loki. It’s alright. You’re safe now.” He reached under the covers for her, finding her arm. He pulled back the blankets to reveal her. She winced at the light and squinted. Scrawny with lanky unwashed hair and dark circles under her eyes, she did not look well. But what took him aback were her eyes. They weren’t as sharp as before. Something dawned on him.

“Whatever they did to you, I swear I’ll kill them. I told you, I know what it’s like, and I know you need to get past it to move on.” He grabbed her hand and held it to his chest. “I swear.”

She gave him a small, sad smile. Loki reached for a glass of water and helped her drink. After that, he asked her if she wanted to get up. She shook her head and wiggled deeper into a pillow, shutting her eyes.

“Let me get Dr. Banner to check you.” Loki made to move to the door, but she waved a hand. “Everyone will want to see you.” He reminded, frustrated. Where were her snappy remarks? Her smile? What had they done to her? Angel seemingly didn’t hear. Huffing, Loki left to find the doctor.

Outside her door were Thor, Steve, and Tony.

“Brother, is she alright?”

“I don’t know. Where’s Dr. Banner?”

“He’s in the lab.” Answered Steve, reaching to open the door.

“Thank you, and I’m not sure how up for visitors she is, so Thor and Tony; be calm.”

Thor frowned and Tony smirked and said “You still call Bruce ‘doctor’?”

Loki rolled his eyes. “He retains the ability to become a giant green rage monster. Of course I call him by his full title.”

 

When Loki returned with Bruce, Tony was outside the door, pouting. “They weren’t a fan of my jokes.” He said. They pushed Thor and Steve out of the room. Loki managed to get her into a sitting position, much to Angel’s annoyance.

“Where does it hurt the most?” asked Bruce, pulling out a statoscope. Angel made a vague gesture to her entire body. Checking her pulse, he then reached down to her side. Angel winced, causing Loki to do the same. She took Bruce’s hand away and pulled up the side of her shirt herself instead. At least three grey bruises dotted her skin.

“It looks better. Now the sores on your back.” Angel leaned forward and lifted her shirt up a few inches. Nasty raw sores made Loki grimace and turn. Angel hissed as Bruce dabbed some medicine on the spots. Loki sat on the bed and wrapped his arms around her, holding her still. She reached up and held her forehead.

“Do you have a headache?” asked Loki. She nodded. They quickly lowered her to her back, pulling blankets over her. She rolled over and curled her knees to her chest. “Is there anything you can give her?”

“No.” he sighed. “Well, I could but it’s dangerous. We have no idea what toxins were put her body. They’re probably not out of her system yet and her heart rate is too slow to risk anything.”

Loki gritted his teeth and nodded. “Excuse me.” He brushed past Natasha, who he hadn’t even noticed was standing there. Moments later the characteristic sound of thumping came from his room.

“Someone should go check on that.” Bruce commented.

Natasha looked at the ground. “That would be Thor or ideally, Angel.”

 

Angel tossed and turned that night, moaning. She kicked the sheets off her bed, leaving her exposed and chilly. Shivering, she cried out. Sweating and panicked, she yelped and cried out even louder as her heart rate picked up. Natasha crept in, to see what was happening. Seeing her roll around and make more sounds, Natasha darted in and began to shake her. Angel’s eyes flashed open and she thrashed around.

“It’s ok! It was just a dream.” She began to dry heave as Natasha wrapped her arms around her. “You’re safe, hun. It’s all going to be ok.” Loki bolted into the room, staring for a second before entering. Natasha moved back. Angel grabbed onto him, burying her head into his chest. Natasha watched Loki, the man who she once thought of as a monster comfort a terrified girl. Clint stood in the doorway, not sure what to. She took the chance to lead Clint out.

Loki awkwardly held her, not sure what to do himself. He had never seen her like this before. Placing a hand around her back, he realized that she was not shivering, but _trembling_. Leaning back to pick up a blanket from the floor, Angel squeezed his waist tighter and pulled.

“Don’t leave me.” She begged in a soft, hoarse voice. “Stay.”

Wrapping the blanket around her, Loki hugged her back. “Darling, I won’t. I promise.” Arms still around her, he moved so that he sat against the headboard, and she leaned on him. Angel desperately held onto his arm as if he would disappear if she let go. After a minute, he broke the silence.

“What did you dream of?”

Shaking, her unsteady voice replied, “I fell.” Loki chuckled and pulled her hair from her eyes.

“You don’t have to worry. You have wings; you can fly.”

That seemed like the wrong thing to say. She gripped his arm tighter.

 

A half hour later, Natasha peaked in the door. She knew that their relationship was growing, even if they seemed unaware, yet she was surprised to see Angel pressed to Loki’s chest; relaxed and calm as her hands limply held onto his. Loki had laid his head back, eyes gently closed and carefully stroking her hair. Natasha stiffed at the sight before her lips twitched crookedly upward.


	34. Lifted

The nights fell into a regular pattern. For a week, Angel had nightmares, and woke the three who discovered her in the first place. They of course told the others, and even Tony agreed not to mention it. Eventually, Loki began to stay up with her until she fell asleep. Though warned by Steve, he perpetually found himself waking up on the bed, holding her. Sometimes they woke up on the window niche. For a week, Angel never spoke except in whispers, and then only mostly to Loki.

When not in her room, which was rare, Pepper, Jane, and Darcy found ways to distract him. He went with Darcy to the library to find books that Angel barely touched anymore, carried heavy equipment for Jane, and with the help of Tony, who was roped into it, moved boxes of Tony’s junk for Pepper. But they still found Loki brooding on the balcony, looking over the city below.

Angel was no better, spacing out and ignoring the world as a whole. She often gazed longingly up at the sky in her room, which she never left. Thor assured her that once she was well, that she would fly across the skies again. This did not comfort her. Then again, nothing did, no matter what they did. She wouldn’t carry on a conversation, slept a lot, and stared off into space instead of reading books. The only thing she did constantly was listen to music.

Angel lost weight too; much to Bruce’s distress. He often scolded her about it, but she muttered that she had lost her appetite. She lost so much weight; Bruce had to force her to eat. She was so scary small that he was afraid that she got sick, she wouldn’t recover. Angel also got little sleep; with only few hours of fitful slumber that never rested her. One time when she was pretending to nap when Natasha was around, the Black Widow finally spoke up. “I know you’re faking. Get some real sleep.”

One day, Loki was finally done with it. He stormed in her room, standing over her. “This has gone on long enough. Tell me what’s wrong! What did they do?” Her eyes widened before she tossed over and hid her face. Loki crouched on his knees and pulled the covers away. Face to face, he saw tears well in her eyes. “What did they do?” he inquired, softer. She looked away.

For several long minutes, he stared at the floor. What was wrong? Did he do something? He hadn’t even seen her smile in weeks. What could he do? This sparked an idea in him. “Hey.” He lightly brushed her arm. “Look up.” When she didn’t, he took her chin and turned her head. Angel gasped and stared, jaw dropping.

Specks of lights illuminated the ceiling; celestial and wondrous. Tiny bodies of stars danced in a dark velvet casing. Amazed, Angel couldn’t look away. But Loki couldn’t look away from her eyes as they reflected the shining beacons. The stars swirled and blinked.

“That is the view of the sky from my chambers in Asguard.”

“How? How are you doing this?” she breathed.

“I have regained my magic. Did you not know that? I have had my powers back for some time.”

“How?” she urged.

He paused. “When you were gone, I was upset. I was so worked up, I just exploded. My built up emotions released and, I regained my powers once again. My magic was sealed, not taken like I previously thought.”

Angel bit her lip. “It was sealed, not taken?”

“Yes.” Something dawned on him, giving him a sinking feeling in his gut. “Angel, are you suggesting that…”

“Yeah.” She interrupted. “My wings are sealed. During my time there, they tried to get me to show them so that they could rip them off. They used injections and torture, but I could shut them in and keep them. I kept them locked inside. But there was a consequence.” Rolling over, she coiled up and hung her head.

Loki stood and sat on the bed, resting on his right knee, making the cushion sink low. He leaned on his hands, which he placed on either side of her. “You don’t need wings to fly.” Angel peaked up, smiling softly. He ran a finger around her face, tracing the edge of her soft skin.

“I think I love you.” The words were out before could stop them, and he would have regretted it if he hadn’t seen her deep blue eyes brighten and sharpen.

She gazed into his green eyes. Not forest or lime green she noted, but polished emeralds. “Oh? Well, I know I love you.” She ran a hand through his hair, roughing it up a bit. She chuckled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Well then, I would like to reverse my decision. I definitely love you.” He winked his eyes mischievously, tilting his head. They both closed their eyes, leaning in as stars blinked down interrupting the shadows that loomed over them. Their lips brushed together; softly at first then harder. Loki shuddered as tingles crept down his spine, Angel’s chest fluttered with the beat of her heart. Finally, they reluctantly pulled back for air.

Angel sat up and laughed, the sound carrying through the room and across the galaxy above. “Loki, are we a couple now?”

“Darling, forever.” They embraced and locked lips again, tears of happiness in their eyes.

 

The Avengers ran down the hall, curious and worried about the sound that came from Angel’s room. Natasha opened the door, freezing in place. White feathered wings wrapped around Loki and Angel, who were kissing each other as tears ran down their cheeks. She backed away, pushing Thor and Clint aside, who also saw the scene.

“Steve. You owe Tony 10 bucks.” Tony threw his arms up in victory as Steve frowned and left to go get his wallet. She and Thor shared a look. Thor just smiled, smiled, smiled, almost as brightly as white wings against a velvet sea of winking stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! Thank you so much for all the support! I never thought anyone would read this! I was freaking out over the first thirty reads, now all this! You don't know how much this means to me. I am planning a sequel, but it won't come out for a while. I have some ideas and scenes planned here and there, but no main plot or tie in's. Any suggestions or ideas are welcome! Thank you for everything. I would have abandoned this a while ago without the encouragement!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! With school going on, I'll still try to update a reasonable amount at reasonable times.


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